Exciting 2026 Cricket Calendar: India’s Full Schedule of Tours, Tournaments & IPL
The year 2026 is set to be a landmark year for Indian cricket, featuring a major ICC event, full bilateral tours across Tests, ODIs, and T20s, a blockbuster IPL season, and India’s participation in multi-sport action at the Asian Games. Fans can look forward to thrilling matches, star performances, and key moments that will shape Indian cricket’s calendar.
1. India vs New Zealand — Home Series
11–31 January 2026
Formats: 3 ODIs + 5 T20Is
Purpose: Warm-up and preparation ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Venues:
1st ODI: 11 Jan — Vadodara
2nd ODI: 14 Jan — Rajkot
3rd ODI: 18 Jan — Indore
T20Is: 21, 23, 25, 28 & 31 Jan at Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam & Thiruvananthapuram respectively
This eight-match limited-overs series will be crucial as India finalise selections, test bench strength, and fine-tune their white-ball combinations before the T20 World Cup at home.
2. ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 — Co-hosted by India & Sri Lanka
7 February – 8 March 2026
Format: T20 international tournament with group stage, Super 8, semi-finals and final
Role for India: Co-host & top contender on home soil
Strategic Importance: India are defending champions and heavy favourites, aiming to win back-to-back titles in front of home crowds.
India’s group-stage matches include key games against fellow qualifiers in Group stages — and the tournament will serve as a major highlight of the 2026 calendar.
3. IPL 2026 — Franchise Cricket Spectacle
26 March – 31 May 2026
Tournament: Indian Premier League (19th edition)
Details: 10 teams, 84 matches, double round-robin + playoffs
Context: IPL continues to be the centrepiece of India’s domestic cricket season, featuring international players and marquee action that disrupts the international schedule.
4. India vs Afghanistan — Home Mixed Format Series
June 2026
Formats: 1 Test + 3 ODIs
Status: Dates and venues are to be confirmed
This short series is a strategic way to blend red-ball preparation with limited-overs competition.
5. India Tour of England — White-Ball Focused
1–19 July 2026
Formats: 5 T20Is + 3 ODIs
Venues:
T20Is: 1 Jul — Chester-le-Street
4 Jul — Manchester
7 Jul — Nottingham
9 Jul — Bristol
11 Jul — Southampton
ODIs: 14 Jul — Birmingham
16 Jul — Cardiff
19 Jul — Lord’s 🇬🇧
This full white-ball tour overseas will be another major test of India’s limited-overs depth following the World Cup and IPL.
6. India Tour of Sri Lanka — Test Series
August 2026 (Exact dates TBA)
Format: 2 Test matches
This rare August Test assignment is part of the ICC’s Future Tours Programme and will be crucial for India to improve in longer formats after recent setbacks.
7. India Tour of Bangladesh — White-Ball Series
September 2026 (Exact dates TBA)
Formats: 3 ODIs + 3 T20Is
The postponed tour finally takes place, offering India a chance to dominate in subcontinental conditions and build bilateral momentum.
8. Asian Games 2026 — T20 Cricket (Japan)
19 September – 4 October 2026
Format: T20 men’s cricket tournament at the multi-sport Asian Games in Japan
Context: Cricket returns as a major Asian Games sport, with India expected to field a competitive T20 squad.
9. India vs West Indies — Home White-Ball Series
September – October 2026 (Exact dates TBA)
Formats: 3 ODIs + 5 T20Is
This heavy white-ball assignment provides a late boost of limited-overs action at home later in the year.
10. India Tour of New Zealand — Full Multi-Format Tour
October – November 2026 (Exact dates TBA)
Formats: 2 Tests + 3 ODIs + 5 T20Is
A crucial overseas challenge ahead of the year’s end, this tour tests India across all formats in foreign conditions — especially important given the World Test Championship 2025-27 implications.
11. India vs Sri Lanka — Year’s Final Series
December 2026 (Exact dates TBA)
Formats: 3 ODIs + 3 T20Is
India will wrap up 2026 with a home bilateral limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, offering final opportunities for players to impress ahead of 2027.
Key Takeaways: India’s 2026 Cricket Strategy
ICC T20 World Cup Priority
The schedule is structured around peak performance for the T20 World Cup, with warm-up series and high-intensity preparation at home.
Balanced Multi-Format Commitments
India’s calendar includes Tests, ODIs, and T20Is across continents — essential for squad depth and fulfilling ICC’s Future Tours Programme.
High-Volume White-Ball Play
Limited-overs cricket dominates India’s year, with seven separate white-ball assignments outside the World Cup, reflecting the format’s global priority.
Red-Ball Emphasis
Strategic Test assignments in Sri Lanka and New Zealand give India opportunities to strengthen in the longer game.
Cricket at the Asian Games
India’s participation at the Asian Games (Japan) highlights cricket’s expanding profile beyond ICC formats.
Conclusion
India’s 2026 cricket calendar is one of the most ambitious schedules in its history, blending world championship goals, bilateral rivalries, franchise cricket, and multi-sport events. For fans, players, and the team management alike, it represents both the ecstasy of home tournaments and the grind of overseas campaigns — a full examination of India’s cricketing depth and endurance.
Written by The Cricket Show
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