As the new year dawned, an ardent Indian cricket fan received a special visitor. After delivering a quick Ashes Test win in Melbourne for England's Barmy Army, Santa Claus made a pitstop in India. His mission? To collect a fan's wishlist for the future of Indian cricket in 2026. The resulting demands present a candid snapshot of what the true stakeholders of the game desire from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team itself.
Core Demands: Infrastructure and Governance
The list begins with a fundamental plea for better spectator experience. Fans are asking the BCCI to recognize them as primary stakeholders, second only to the players. Their request is simple yet profound: cleaner toilets and access to affordable, clean drinking water at stadiums. This basic amenity, they argue, is essential for the product they support.
Moving beyond facilities, the wishlist calls for a structural overhaul in cricket administration. Fans desire a shift from honorary administrators to a single, accountable person in charge of running the game. They envision a powerful Director of Cricket or CEO—a luminary without personal agendas—who would have the autonomy to plan 'A' tours, organize preparatory camps, manage player workloads, and even pull players from franchise leagues to prioritize crucial red-ball assignments.
On-Field Reforms and Player Focus
The fan's vision for the sport on the field is equally clear. There is a strong demand for improved Test cricket pitch standards in India, moving away from surfaces that produce results faster than quick-commerce deliveries. Fans yearn for Test matches to be hosted in six or seven fixed, historic venues that appreciate the format's nuances.
The wishlist also highlights concerns over player development and selection. It calls for greater rewards for domestic cricket performers like Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sarfaraz Khan, who have toiled without consistent international chances. While Ishan Kishan's recent recall based on domestic form is noted as a positive step, fans want to see fresh faces, perhaps for the Sri Lanka Test series in August 2026.
A specific request is made for a proper, ready No. 3 batter in the Test lineup, instead of promoting white-ball specialists unprepared for the role. Furthermore, fans express worry over T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav's apparent reliance on leg-side shots and inquire about his right wrist's health, hoping for a full recovery before the T20 World Cup.
Culture, Conduct, and The Missing Trophy
The fan's wishes extend to the culture surrounding the team. There's a plea to stop leaking dressing-room information to the media, referencing the veiled potshots between coaches and players in the past year. Fans also ask head coach Gautam Gambhir, who advocated for people to 'stay in their domain,' to advise players against making emotionally charged speeches about patriotism and nationalism, especially before high-voltage clashes like the one against Pakistan in Colombo on February 15.
Finally, in a lighter yet pointed note, the fan asks Santa to help locate the Asia Cup trophy won in Dubai in September 2025, hoping to have it before the next 50-over edition. The list concludes with a reminder of 2025's unique numbers, underscoring the highs and lows that shaped these demands.
Key stats from 2025 that contextualize the wishes include Deepti Sharma becoming the first all-rounder with a fifty and a five-wicket haul in a World Cup final, and India suffering their biggest defeat by runs (408) in the Guwahati Test against South Africa. These figures highlight both the glory and the glaring gaps in Indian cricket that fans hope will be addressed in 2026.
