3 min readJan 7, 2026 03:30 PM IST
First published on: Jan 7, 2026 at 03:30 PM IST
The Indian men’s cricket team will open their 2026 calendar year with a host of limited-overs matches against New Zealand from the second week of January before they get into T20 World Cup action in February.
The defending champions will open their campaign in Mumbai on February 7 and will have an interesting year ahead of them across forms and formats. Following the World Cup and the calendar break for the IPL 2026 edition, India’s commitments in the longer formats will take precedence, with the focus shifting to the 2027 ODI World Cup and their qualification path for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in the 2025-27 edition.
According to the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), India are slated to play 49 matches in bi-lateral series across formats this year. This figure excludes the proposed tour of Bangladesh that is shelved indefinitely due to the political and communal tensions between the two nations.
Starting January 11, India will play 18 ODIs this year. This includes three ODIs on a tour of Afghanistan in June 2026 post the IPL season, the concrete details of which remain unclear at the moment. India are also slotted to play three ODIs on an England tour in July before playing six games against West Indies and Sri Lanka in the second half of the year. India will also play the Kiwis again in three 50-over games in October on their New Zealand tour.
With their Test health in serious decline, Shubman Gill’s side will aim to shore up their WTC credentials when they tour Sri Lanka for two matches in August and a subsequent tour to New Zealand, where they will play two more games. Overall, the Men in Blue will also play 20 T20Is by the end of the year before the 2026-27 calendar season ends with a home Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in early 2027.
India Men’s Cricket Schedule in 2026 – Full List
| January 2026 |
New Zealand tour of India |
India |
3 ODIs, 5 T20Is |
| June 2026 |
Afghanistan tour of India |
India |
1 Test, 3 ODIs |
| July 2026 |
England tour of India |
India |
3 ODIs, 5 T20Is |
| August 2026 |
India tour of Sri Lanka |
Sri Lanka |
2 Tests |
| September 2026 |
India tour of Afghanistan |
Afghanistan |
3 T20 |
| September-October 2026 |
West Indies tour of India |
India |
3 ODIs, 5 T20Is |
| October-November 2026 |
India tour of New Zealand |
New Zealand |
2 Test, 3 ODI, 5 T20Is |
| December 2026 |
Sri Lanka tour of India |
India |
3 ODIs, 3 T20Is |
India 2026 cricket schedule: The Men in Blue are set to play at least 18 ODIs this year. (PTI Photo) 
Share
