ECB moves start times of T20Is by an hour to maximise TV viewership for England vs India

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have decided to move the start times of floodlit T20Is between England and India ahead by one hour to maximise viewership in India. The Men in Blue travel to the United Kingdom for a white-ball tour, where they will play three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and five T20I matches starting from July 1. 

According to ESPNcricinfo, the three T20I matches, which were supposed to start at 6:30 PM local time, will now begin at 5:30 PM (10 PM in India) following discussions with the broadcasters, those being Sky Sports in the UK and Sony Sports Network in India. 

The start time of 6:30 PM for international T20 matches has been the standard in recent years. However, the sudden change in the norm shows the ECB’s reliance on “high-value broadcast series,” which are mostly against India, as they bring in a host of revenue, both through matchday income and through broadcasting rights.

According to reports, England’s cricketing board is expected to make a huge profit this year thanks to India’s white-ball tour, but are anticipating a loss in 2027 despite the country hosting the Ashes against Australia, widely regarded as the biggest Test series in men’s cricket. 

According to the aforementioned source, the England vs India white-ball series has created a lot of buzz amongst the supporters in the country after the selectors included Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the 20-over squad.

However, tickets for the three ODI matches were already sold out before India announced the squad, with fans keen on watching Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in what could be the last time they travel to the British shores. Meanwhile, only a handful of tickets remain unsold for the five T20I matches. 

India toured England in 2025 to play five Test matches, with the series ending 2-2 following the Men in Blue’s dramatic victory in the final Test at the Oval.