The year 2026 promises to be an action-packed one for the Indian men's cricket team, filled with major tournaments and bilateral series across all formats. Fresh off a year of mixed results in 2025, where they secured the Champions Trophy but faced setbacks in Test cricket, the Men in Blue will be aiming for consistency and success on the global stage.

The year starts with a home series against New Zealand in January, featuring three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). The ODI series will be held from January 11th to 18th with matches in Vadodara, Rajkot and Indore. The T20I series will follow from January 21st to 31st, with matches in Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram.

February and March will be dominated by the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India will begin their campaign on February 7th against the USA in Mumbai. They will then face Namibia, Pakistan, and the Netherlands in Delhi, Colombo, and Ahmedabad, respectively. If India qualifies for the Super 8s, their matches will be played in late February, with the semi-finals and final in early March.

Following the T20 World Cup, the focus will shift to the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is scheduled to take place from March 26th to May 31st. This will provide a break in the international calendar, allowing players to participate in the domestic T20 competition.

In June, India is slated to host Afghanistan for a mixed-format series consisting of one Test match and three ODIs. The exact dates and venues for these matches are yet to be announced.

In July, the team will tour England for a series of five T20Is and three ODIs. The T20Is are scheduled for July 1st, 4th, and 7th in Chester-le-Street, Manchester, and Nottingham, respectively.

Later in the year, India is expected to tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series in August. In September, they will participate in the Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, where cricket will be played in the T20 format. They will also host Afghanistan for three T20Is and the West Indies for three ODIs and five T20Is in September and October.

From late October to November, India will tour New Zealand for two Test matches, three ODIs, and five T20Is. The year will conclude with a home series against Sri Lanka in December, featuring three ODIs and three T20Is.

Additionally, the Indian men's and women's teams will aim to defend their gold medals at the Asian Games 2026. The women's team also has a busy schedule, including a tour of Australia in February-March and a tour of England in May-June, followed by the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in England in June-July.