Could the Ashes be played in India? Cricket Australia open to lucrative idea

Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive Todd Greenberg said the governing body would be willing to explore the possibility of hosting an Australia-England Test in India, describing the idea as an opportunity to bring the game’s biggest competitions to key global markets.

The Ashes, one of cricket’s oldest rivalries dating back to 1882, has traditionally alternated between England and Australia as venues. Australia claimed the urn with an impressive 4-1 victory in the 2025-26 series, while England will host the next edition in 2027.

Until then, the two sides are scheduled to meet in a separate day-night Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 2027 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first ever Test match. The fixture will not be part of the Ashes series.

Speaking about the future of marquee Test matches, Greenberg said he would not rule out the prospect of an exhibition Test between Australia and England in India. The proposal comes after Cricket Australia decided to hold a Big Bash League match between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers in Chennai later this year, highlighting his willingness to experiment with overseas venues.

“We would have to be open to consider all options,” Greenberg said on the BBC’s Stumped podcast.

“Our relationship with the ECB but also the BCCI is very strong. And clearly there are opportunities in India to put more content in certain areas. It’s not something we’re currently planning, but it would certainly be open to consideration.”

The financial attractiveness of the Indian market has become increasingly apparent in recent years. Earlier this year, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) predicted that its balance sheet would receive a significant boost from India’s recent white-ball tour of England. In contrast, the governing body expects lower revenue in 2027 despite hosting both the men’s and women’s Ashes, noting that its finances fluctuate depending on the schedule of commercially valuable international tours.

Any proposal to move the Australia-England Test away from the two countries would require the approval of Cricket Australia, the ECB and the BCCI. Greenberg believes such initiatives could help Test cricket strengthen its position at a time when franchise leagues continue to dominate the world calendar. As tournaments like the IPL expand their footprint across the cricketing world, he argued that bringing the iconic Test matches to a new audience could be beneficial, while acknowledging that fitting another tournament into an already crowded international schedule would not be easy.

“I think Test cricket between us, England and India is still very strong, probably bucking the trend in other parts of the world. So we want to make sure we continue to develop and strengthen it.”

“The challenge for all of us in global cricket is that the schedule is only 365 days and we will probably need another month or two if we can really create the content that we want.”

The men’s Ashes 2027 will kick off at Trent Bridge June 18 next year.

– The end

Published on:

24 Jul 2026 09:31 IST