‘Tis the year of the biggest multi-sport event – the Olympics. With the new year having just begun, now is a good time to get excited about all the sporting action 2020 has in store.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of the major sporting events of the year
Sri Lanka visit India for three T20Is, and Australia come following soon after for three ODIs to kick off the international cricket season.
India tour to New Zealand
When: Jan 24 – Mar 4
Virat Kohli takes the Indian team to New Zealand for five T20Is, three ODIs and two Test matches.
BADMINTON
BWF World Tour
When: Starts Jan 7
The first Super 500 event of the year, the Malaysia Masters, gets things moving for the World Tour. The Indonesia Masters will follow a week later.
TENNIS
Hobart International
When: Jan 13-18
The WTA Tour Hobart International is slated to be India’s top women’s doubles player Sania Mirza’s comeback post motherhood. She will use this as a warm-up for the year’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, which gets underway on January 20.
HOCKEY
FIH Pro League (Men’s)
When: Jan 18 – Jun 28
India host Netherlands in Bhubaneswar on January 18 and 19 to begin their participation in the home-and-away based Pro League’s second season. India will also host world champions Belgium, Australia and New Zealand later in the year, and travel away to Germany, Great Britain and Argentina. There’s no final this year, so while India complete their matches away to Spain on June 14, they will only know two weeks later where they finish on the points table.
February
WRESTLING
Asian Championships
When: Feb 18-23
A non-Olympic qualifier in Delhi, it will nevertheless be an important stopover on the way to Tokyo.
GYMNASTICS
World Cup
When: Feb 20-23
Melbourne hosts the Gymnastics World Cup, which contributes towards Olympic qualification in the sport. There will be two further World Cups in Baku and Doha in March, which will also serve as qualifiers. Can Indian gymnastics build on the foundation laid by Dipa Karmakar in Rio?
CRICKET
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
When: Feb 21 – Mar 8
India are placed in a competitive group alongside defending champions and hosts Australia, and New Zealand in the 10-team tournament and must finish in the top-two to qualify for the knockouts. They begin their campaign against Australia in Sydney on the opening day.
