India’s 2026 cricket calendar is packed from start to finish. The year began with a home series against New Zealand and it hasn’t slowed down since. India won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, defended their title for the first time in history, and then had RCB take the IPL 2026 crown. Now, with those celebrations over, there’s a long list of series still to come, across formats, across continents.
January 2026: New Zealand Visit India
The year kicked off with New Zealand touring India for a full white-ball series. India played three ODIs and five T20Is on home soil, across different cities from Vadodara to Thiruvananthapuram.
India vs New Zealand, January 2026
| Match | Date | Venue |
| 1st ODI | January 11 | Vadodara |
| 2nd ODI | January 14 | Rajkot |
| 3rd ODI | January 18 | Indore |
| 1st T20I | January 21 | Nagpur |
| 2nd T20I | January 23 | Raipur |
| 3rd T20I | January 25 | Guwahati |
| 4th T20I | January 28 | Visakhapatnam |
| 5th T20I | January 31 | Thiruvananthapuram |
Eight matches across eight different cities, it was a great opportunity for fans in smaller cricket hubs to watch live international cricket. The series also gave India’s team management a chance to try different combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup.
February–March 2026: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
The biggest event of India’s 2026 calendar was the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which was jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India played their group stage and Super 8 matches across multiple iconic venues in both countries.
India went through the tournament in brilliant fashion, winning seven of their eight matches and losing only to South Africa in the Super 8 stage. They beat England in the semi-final and then beat New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, becoming the first team ever to defend the T20 World Cup.
India at ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
| Match | Date | Venue | Stage | Result |
| India vs USA | February 7 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Group | Win |
| India vs Namibia | February 12 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Group | Win |
| India vs Pakistan | February 15 | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | Group | Win |
| India vs Netherlands | February 18 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Group | Win |
| India vs South Africa | February 22 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Super 8 | Loss |
| India vs Zimbabwe | February 26 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Super 8 | Win |
| India vs West Indies | March 1 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Super 8 | Win |
| India vs England | March 5 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Semi-final | Win |
| India vs New Zealand | March 8 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Final | Win |
The high point of the whole tournament was clearly the final. India beating New Zealand at home, in front of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium, was a moment that will be remembered for a long time. Lifting the T20 World Cup for the second time in a row puts India in a class of their own in this format.
March–May 2026: Indian Premier League (IPL)
Right after the World Cup, the IPL 2026 took over. The tournament ran through March to May and kept Indian cricket in the spotlight. This edition saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) win the title once more, giving the franchise back-to-back IPL glory.
The IPL also served as a great platform for younger Indian players to push their case for international selection, especially ahead of the busy second half of the year.
June 2026: Afghanistan at Home, Then Ireland Away
June is a busy month for India. First, Afghanistan come to India for a Test match and three ODIs. Then, just days later, India fly to Ireland for a two-match T20I series.
Afghanistan Tour of India, June 2026
| Day | Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
| Saturday | June 6 | Test | New Chandigarh | 9:30 AM |
| Sunday | June 14 | 1st ODI | Dharamshala | 1:30 PM |
| Wednesday | June 17 | 2nd ODI | Lucknow | 1:30 PM |
| Saturday | June 20 | 3rd ODI | Chennai | 1:30 PM |
The Test match in New Chandigarh is a good opportunity for India’s young Test side to keep building after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the longer format. The ODI series against Afghanistan also counts as part of India’s ODI schedule for the year, which is important because both Rohit and Kohli are still playing the 50-over format.
India Tour of Ireland, June 2026
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 1st T20I | June 26 (Friday) | Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast | 7:30 PM |
| 2nd T20I | June 28 (Sunday) | Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast | 7:30 PM |
Ireland might not be one of the top teams in world cricket, but playing in Belfast gives Indian players valuable exposure to different conditions. The two T20Is will also help India keep their rhythm going ahead of the England tour.
July 2026: England and Zimbabwe
July is the most action-packed month of the year. India first travel to England for five T20Is and three ODIs, and then head straight to Zimbabwe for three T20Is. It’s a very long stretch of away cricket.
| Match | Date | Venue |
| 1st T20I | July 1 | Chester-le-Street |
| 2nd T20I | July 4 | Manchester |
| 3rd T20I | July 7 | Nottingham |
| 4th T20I | July 9 | Bristol |
| 5th T20I | July 11 | Southampton |
| 1st ODI | July 14 | Birmingham |
| 2nd ODI | July 16 | Cardiff |
| 3rd ODI | July 19 | London |
Playing in England is always a challenge. The conditions are different, the pitches behave differently, the weather is unpredictable, and the crowd is loud and partisan. The five-match T20I series is a full series, and the three ODIs at the end of the tour will matter a lot for players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are only available in the 50-over format.
India Tour of Zimbabwe, July 2026
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 1st T20I | July 23 (Thursday) | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 4:30 PM |
| 2nd T20I | July 25 (Saturday) | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 4:30 PM |
| 3rd T20I | July 26 (Sunday) | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 4:30 PM |
From England, India head to Harare for three T20Is against Zimbabwe. It’s a short tour, just four days, but it gives fringe players a chance to nail down their spots in the T20 setup. Harare Sports Club is a good batting surface, so expect some high-scoring games.
August 2026
August appears to be a gap in the current schedule, likely kept free for players to rest and recover after a very heavy July. It could also be used for domestic cricket or preparatory camps.
September–October 2026: Afghanistan at Home and West Indies Visit
After the break, India return home in September for three T20Is against Afghanistan, followed by a big home series against West Indies covering both ODIs and T20Is.
India vs Afghanistan T20I Series, September 2026 (Tentative)
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 1st T20I | September 13 (Sunday) | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi | 7:00 PM |
| 2nd T20I | September 16 (Wednesday) | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi | 7:00 PM |
| 3rd T20I | September 19 (Saturday) | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi | 7:00 PM |
All three T20Is are at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, which keeps logistics simple. This also comes around the time of the Asian Games, where India is expected to field a young squad in cricket.
India vs West Indies, September–October 2026
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 1st ODI | September 27 (Sunday) | Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram | 2:00 PM |
| 2nd ODI | September 30 (Wednesday) | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 2:00 PM |
| 3rd ODI | October 3 (Saturday) | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh | 2:00 PM |
| 1st T20I | October 6 (Tuesday) | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 7:00 PM |
| 2nd T20I | October 9 (Friday) | JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | 7:00 PM |
| 3rd T20I | October 11 (Sunday) | Holkar Stadium, Indore | 7:00 PM |
| 4th T20I | October 14 (Wednesday) | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 7:00 PM |
| 5th T20I | October 17 (Saturday) | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:00 PM |
This is a full eight-match bilateral series, three ODIs and five T20Is. The ODIs are very important for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as India plays around 18 ODIs in 2026 and the duo is part of the 50-over team. The three-ODI home series against West Indies adds to that count. The five T20Is that follow will also help India prepare their bench strength for future assignments.
November 2026
November looks like another gap in the schedule at this stage. India might have a New Zealand tour or internal preparatory series planned here, but no confirmed fixtures have been shared yet.
December 2026: Sri Lanka Come to India
India close out the year with a home series against Sri Lanka, three ODIs and three T20Is across some of India’s best-known cricket venues.
India vs Sri Lanka, December 2026
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 1st ODI | December 13 (Sunday) | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 2:00 PM |
| 2nd ODI | December 16 (Wednesday) | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 2:00 PM |
| 3rd ODI | December 19 (Saturday) | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 2:00 PM |
| 1st T20I | December 22 (Tuesday) | Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot | 7:00 PM |
| 2nd T20I | December 24 (Thursday) | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | 7:00 PM |
| 3rd T20I | December 27 (Sunday) | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune | 7:00 PM |
The Sri Lanka series is a perfect way to end the year at home. Venues like Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Pune are always reliable hosting grounds. For Rohit and Kohli, the three ODIs at the end of the year will also be important appearances in their continuing ODI careers.
How Many Matches Does India Play in 2026?
Adding it all up, India’s 2026 schedule includes:
- 1 Test (vs Afghanistan, June)
- Around 18 ODIs across multiple series
- Multiple T20Is at home and away
- 1 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (already completed, won)
- IPL 2026 (already completed)
It’s one of the busiest years in recent memory for Indian cricket. There’s something for every format, T20 cricket dominates the schedule, but ODI fans, especially those who follow Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, have plenty to look forward to as well.
From lifting the T20 World Cup in March to finishing the year with a home series against Sri Lanka in late December, 2026 is a year that covers a huge range of opponents, venues, and challenges for Team India.
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