Guwahati Again? Why India’s BGT 2026-27 Venues Have More Critics Than Fans

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) never fails to amuse people with the selection of Test venues. For the upcoming 2026-27 home season, the board has decided to play Tests in Ranchi and Guwahati—two places where Test cricket is neither famous nor very conducive, result-wise, to India.

Bigger stadiums like Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, Mumbai’s Wankhede, and Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy remain ignored even as the Test-loving crowd primarily resides in these pockets.

This has enraged the masses again, and rightly so; “Guwahati” started to trend on X (formerly Twitter). For the premium Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), it is always good to have crowd support and, more importantly, knowledgeable crowds who appreciate the grind of Tests.

Fans on the social media site blasted the organizers, while some even called it favoritism given that the Joint Secretary of the BCCI, Devajit Saikia, comes from the Assam Cricket Association, and thus, Guwahati is getting all the favors.

Why is Guwahati a bad choice for BGT?

The skepticism around Guwahati isn’t just about geography; it’s about a very recent scar. India last played a Test at the Barsapara Stadium in November 2025 against South Africa, and the result was catastrophic.

India didn’t just lose; they suffered their biggest-ever Test defeat by runs (408 runs). Chasing 549, the Indian batting lineup collapsed for a mere 140 on Day 5.

It was a performance that led many, including former spinner R. Ashwin, to question the pitch quality in the eastern part of the country. Ashwin noted on his YouTube channel that surfaces in these regions often lack the bounce and “identity” needed to maintain a true home advantage.

The other venues for this series—Nagpur, Ranchi, and Ahmedabad—aren’t much-celebrated Test venues either. Only Chennai remains a great choice for the five-Test series. People ideally wanted Eden Gardens, Wankhede, and Chinnaswamy to complement Chennai, with one Test to be hosted in picturesque Dharamsala or even Pune, which has a great venue built by the erstwhile Sahara Group.

The Eden Gardens Snub: 25 Years of Waiting

The biggest point of contention is the continued exclusion of Eden Gardens, Kolkata. This month (March 2026) marks the 25th anniversary of the greatest Test match ever played on Indian soil—the 2001 Eden Gardens Test where VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid famously scripted a follow-on victory against Steve Waugh’s Australia.

Despite its 66,000-plus capacity and iconic status, Eden Gardens has not hosted an India vs. Australia Test since that legendary 2001 encounter. For a marquee series like the BGT, fans feel that skipping the “Lord’s of the East” is a disservice to the history of the rivalry.

The 2026-27 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Schedule:

• 1st Test: Nagpur (Jan 21-25)
• 2nd Test: Chennai (Jan 29-Feb 02)
• 3rd Test: Guwahati (Feb 11-15)
• 4th Test: Ranchi (Feb 19-23)
• 5th Test: Ahmedabad (Feb 27-Mar 03)

India’s home schedule for 2026-27: The Zimbabwe welcome

Apart from the BGT, the home season of India will also witness the comeback of Zimbabwe as a bilateral team. The last time Zimbabwe toured India was in 2002, where matches were played in places like Faridabad, which no longer exists on India’s international cricket map.

West Indies Tour of India (September – October 2026)

Sri Lanka Tour of India (December 2026)

Zimbabwe Tour of India (January 2027)