ECB Adjusts T20I Match Timings to Boost Viewership for India Tour

New Start Times for T20I Matches

London [UK], June 8: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has revised the start times for the T20I matches against India, moving them from 6:30 PM local time (11 PM IST) to 5:30 PM (10 PM IST) to enhance television viewership.

India's cricket team is set to visit England for a series of eight white-ball matches, which includes three ODIs and five T20Is, scheduled from July 1 to July 19, as reported by a sports news outlet. The decision to shift the evening T20I matches to an earlier time was made following discussions with broadcasting partners.

The ECB finalizes the start times for home matches after consulting with venues, the opposing board, and both domestic and international broadcasters, specifically Sky Sports in the UK and the Sony Sports Network in India.

This adjustment from the previously standard 6:30 PM start time underscores the ECB's focus on lucrative broadcast series, particularly those involving India, as highlighted in their recent financial report.

According to projections, the ECB expects to see a profit this year due to India's tour, although they anticipate losses in 2027, even with the men's team participating in the much-anticipated Ashes series against Australia.

The report noted, “It is important to recognize that the ECB's revenues are cyclical, reflecting the scheduling of high-value broadcast series by opposing teams.”

Tickets for the tour were made available last year, with all three ODIs selling out quickly, thanks in part to the presence of Indian cricket stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while only a limited number of T20I tickets remain.

During the peak of the English summer, sunset occurs after 9 PM, allowing all five T20Is to be completed under floodlights.

The Indian squad for the T20I series includes a 16-member team featuring 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and newly appointed captain Shreyas Iyer, who takes over from T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Cricket Ireland has also noted increased interest in their two home T20Is against India on June 26 and 28, where Sooryavanshi could potentially make his international debut, breaking Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record as the youngest Indian to do so since 1989. Both matches sold out prior to the squad announcement, with the Civil Service ground at Stormont in Belfast set to accommodate around 4,500 spectators.