The year 2021 was a mixed bag for the Indian cricket team. While they enjoyed another <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/cricket/india-clinch-remarkable-test-and-series-victory-over-australia-1.1149134" target="_blank">famous Test series win in Australia</a> and were 2-1 ahead in their shortened Test series in England, their year will be remembered more for their defeat in the World Test Championship final to New Zealand and their <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/cricket/2021/10/31/t20-world-cup-new-zealand-thrashing-leaves-virat-kohli-and-india-languishing/" target="_blank">capitulation at the T20 World Cup</a> in the UAE. It was another year where a major ICC trophy eluded them as Virat Kohli began to move away from the leadership positions - first with the Royal Challengers Bangalore and then <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/cricket/2021/11/09/rohit-sharma-takes-over-from-virat-kohli-as-india-t20-captain-for-new-zealand-series/" target="_blank">India's T20 captaincy</a>. The next year will provide another shot at a world title - there are ICC events lined up every year for the foreseeable future. Australia will host the T20 World Cup they couldn't in 2020 due to the pandemic and India's record in the country should fill them with hope of ending their nine-year trophy drought. There is a full tour of South Africa at the beginning of the year, which now has a question mark next to it after the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/coronavirus/2021/11/26/whats-known-about-new-b11529-nu-covid-variant/" target="_blank">emergence of a new Covid variant</a>. Sri Lanka feature regularly in India's 2022 calendar, which also includes tour of England and a home series against the Aussies right before the World Cup. <b>Away series in South Africa</b> December 17: First Test, Johannesburg December 26: Second Test, Centurion January 3: Third Test, Cape Town January 11: First ODI, Paarl January 14: Second ODI, Cape Town January 16: Third ODI, Cape Town January 19: First T20, Cape Town January 21: Second T20, Cape Town January 23: Third T20, Paarl January 26: Fourth T20I, Paarl <b>Home series against West Indies</b> February 6: First ODI, Ahmedabad February 9: Second ODI, Jaipur February 12: Third ODI, Kolkata February 15: First T20, Cuttack February 18: Second T20, Visakhapatnam February 20: Third T20, Trivandrum <b>Home series against Sri Lanka</b> February 25: First Test, Bengaluru March 5: Second Test, Mohali March 13: First T20, Mohali March 15: Second T20, Dharamsala March 18: Third T20, Lucknow <b>Home series against South Africa</b> June 9: First T20, Chennai June 12: Second T20, Bengaluru June 14: Third T20, Nagpur June 17: Fourth T20, Rajkot June 19: Fifth T20, Delhi <b>Away series in England</b> July 1: Rescheduled Fifth Test, Birmingham July 7: First T20, Southampton July 9: Second T20, Birmingham July 10: Third T20, Nottingham July 12: First ODI, London July 14: Second ODI, London July 17: Third ODI, Manchester <b>Home series against Australia</b> Four Tests, Three T20s <b>Away series in Bangladesh</b> Two Tests, Three ODIs <b>Home series against Sri Lanka</b> Five ODIs