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India cricket schedule 2026: Team India's fixtures in Tests, ODIs and T20Is

India will be playing only four Test matches in 2026, which will be their lowest number of red-ball matches in recent years

Indian cricket team's full schedule for 2026

Indian cricket team's full schedule for 2026

Aditya Kaushik New Delhi

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After a roller-coaster journey in 2025, Team India will look to make a fresh start in 2026. The Men in Blue will once again be looking to add another ICC trophy to their cabinet when they host the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 along with Sri Lanka as defending champions. They will also look to defend their gold medal at the Asia Cup 2026.  While fans of ODIs and T20Is will see the team in action pretty early in the year, fans of Test cricket will have to wait for some time, as India’s first Test assignment in 2026 will come in August.
 
 
But how does Team India’s full schedule for 2026 look? Take a look.

ODIs and T20Is against New Zealand

India will kick-start their 2026 campaign with a five-T20I and three-ODI series against New Zealand. This will not only serve as their first series of the year but will also act as their final practice ground for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

ICC T20 World Cup 2026

India’s second international cricket assignment will probably be their biggest of the year, as they will host the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 along with Sri Lanka. After winning the 2024 edition by beating South Africa in the final, India will now aim to become the first team not only to defend the ICC T20 World Cup title but also to do so by becoming the first team to win the tournament as hosts.

IPL 2026

After the end of the T20 World Cup, India will have a short break, following which the players will take part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 from March 26 to May 31.

Multi-format series with Afghanistan

India will host Afghanistan for one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is in 2026. However, there is a catch. India will first host Afghanistan for Tests and ODIs in June, will move on to other series, and then will once again host them for T20Is in September.

White-ball tour of England

After a thrilling red-ball tour of England in 2025, India will once again visit the birth country of cricket in 2026, but this time for a white-ball tour. They will play five T20Is and three ODIs against England before returning to India. 

First Test series of the year

After nearly eight months of 2026, India will finally return to red-ball cricket when they host Sri Lanka for a two-Test series. India, who will be playing their first Test since a 0-2 loss to South Africa at home, will need to win the series with a clean sweep if they want to re-enter the race for the ICC Test Championship 2025-27 final.

West Indies visit India again

After the Sri Lanka Tests, India will once again shift their focus to white-ball cricket as they host West Indies for three ODIs and five T20Is in October.

Asia Games 2026

In September, India will also be defending yet another title in the form of the Asia Games gold medal, which they last won under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad. They will take part in the tournament, which will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4.

Multi-format tour of New Zealand

After the Asia Games, India will visit New Zealand for two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. The tour will be important for India as this will be their second-last Test series in the ICC Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, and a loss here could crush their dreams of qualifying for the final for the second time in a row.

Last series of the year

India will finally end the year with a three-ODI and three-T20I series against Sri Lanka as hosts to complete their all-format clash with neighbours from the south.

Full schedule of the Indian cricket team for 2026:

 
Dates Match / Series Opposition Format Venue / Host
Jan 11, 2026 1st ODI (D/N) New Zealand ODI Vadodara, India
Jan 14, 2026 2nd ODI (D/N) New Zealand ODI Rajkot, India
Jan 18, 2026 3rd ODI (D/N) New Zealand ODI Indore, India
Jan 21, 2026 1st T20I (N) New Zealand T20I Nagpur, India
Jan 23, 2026 2nd T20I (N) New Zealand T20I Raipur, India
Jan 25, 2026 3rd T20I (N) New Zealand T20I Guwahati, India
Jan 28, 2026 4th T20I (N) New Zealand T20I Visakhapatnam, India
Jan 31, 2026 5th T20I (N) New Zealand T20I Thiruvananthapuram, India
Feb 7, 2026 ICC T20 World Cup – Group Match USA T20I Wankhede, Mumbai
Feb 12, 2026 ICC T20 World Cup – Group Match Namibia T20I Delhi
Feb 15, 2026 ICC T20 World Cup – Group Match Pakistan T20I Colombo (RPS), Sri Lanka
Feb 18, 2026 ICC T20 World Cup – Group Match Netherlands T20I Ahmedabad, India
Feb 7–Mar 8, 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Multi-nation T20Is India & Sri Lanka
June 2026 India vs Afghanistan Afghanistan 1 Test, 3 ODIs India
Jul 1, 2026 1st T20I England T20I Chester-le-Street, England
Jul 4, 2026 2nd T20I England T20I Manchester, England
Jul 7, 2026 3rd T20I England T20I Nottingham, England
Jul 9, 2026 4th T20I England T20I Bristol, England
Jul 11, 2026 5th T20I England T20I Southampton, England
Jul 14, 2026 1st ODI (D/N) England ODI Birmingham, England
Jul 16, 2026 2nd ODI (D/N) England ODI Cardiff, England
Jul 19, 2026 3rd ODI England ODI Lord’s, London
August 2026 Sri Lanka vs India Sri Lanka 2 Tests Sri Lanka
September 2026 Afghanistan vs India Afghanistan 3 T20Is TBA
Sep–Oct 2026 India vs West Indies West Indies 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is India
Sep 19–Oct 4, 2026 Asian Games 2026 Multi-nation T20Is Japan
Oct–Nov 2026 New Zealand vs India New Zealand 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is New Zealand
December 2026 India vs Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is India
 

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First Published: Jan 01 2026 | 11:04 AM IST

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