The Indian cricket team is gearing up for a busy and exciting 2026, filled with major tournaments and bilateral series across all formats of the game. The schedule includes the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on home soil, the Asian Games in Japan, and several tours, promising a mix of challenges and opportunities for the Men in Blue.
T20 World Cup 2026
The year's major highlight is undoubtedly the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. India will aim to defend their title in familiar conditions. India are in Group A along with Pakistan, Netherlands, Namibia and USA. The tournament will feature 20 teams divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage, followed by the semi-finals and the final. India's confirmed group stage matches are against USA on February 7, Namibia on February 12, Pakistan on February 15, and Netherlands on February 18. If India qualifies for the Super 8s, it will play matches in the final days of February and potentially until March 8 if they reach the semi-finals and final.
Asian Games 2026
From September 19 to October 4, both the men's and women's Indian cricket teams will aim to defend their gold medals at the Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan. Cricket at the Asian Games will feature both men's and women's T20 International tournaments. Ten teams will compete in the men's event, and eight teams will participate in the women's event.
Bilateral Series
Apart from the major tournaments, India has a full schedule of bilateral series.
- New Zealand in India (January): India will start the year with a home series against New Zealand, featuring 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is. The ODI matches are scheduled for January 11 in Vadodara, January 14 in Rajkot, and January 18 in Indore. The T20I matches will be played on January 21 in Nagpur, January 23 in Raipur, January 25 in Guwahati, January 28 in Visakhapatnam and January 31 in Thiruvananthapuram.
- Afghanistan in India (June): India will host Afghanistan for a mixed-format series consisting of one Test match and three ODIs. The exact dates are yet to be announced. Later in the year, India will also play a 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan away from home in September-October.
- India tour of England (July): In July, the Indian team will tour England for a white-ball series, including 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs. The T20Is are scheduled for July 1 in Chester-le-Street, July 4 in Manchester, July 7 in Nottingham, July 9 in Bristol and July 11 in Southampton. The ODIs will be played on July 14 in Birmingham, July 16 in Cardiff and July 19 in London.
- India tour of Sri Lanka (August): India will visit Sri Lanka for a two-Test series in August.
- India tour of Bangladesh (September): India is scheduled to tour Bangladesh for 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is.
- West Indies in India (September-October): India will host West Indies for 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is.
- India tour of New Zealand (October-November): The team will then travel to New Zealand for a full tour, including 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 5 T20Is.
- Sri Lanka in India (December): India will conclude the year by hosting Sri Lanka for 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is.
Other Events
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be held from March 26 to May 31.
With a packed schedule encompassing major tournaments and bilateral series, the Indian cricket team faces a challenging but exciting year in 2026. The team will aim to maintain its dominance in the T20 format, defend its Asian Games titles, and perform well in the World Test Championship cycle.
