Know About India Cricket Schedule 2026: Series, Upcoming Match List, Venues
The India national cricket team’s 2026 schedule features white-ball tours at home, away series and a full build-up to major ICC tournaments.
Overview of 2026 Cricket Calendar for India
India’s cricketing year in 2026 is structured around several bilateral series at home and abroad, offering a mix of formats (Tests, ODIs, T20Is) and venues. The schedule is designed to build momentum ahead of major tournaments and to give fresh combinations a chance under pressure. According to the Future Tours Programme and board announcements, India will host important white-ball series, plus tour strong oppositions overseas.
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Key Home Series: White-Ball Focus
A major highlight: India will host the New Zealand national cricket team in January 2026 for a 3-ODI + 5-T20I series. The first ODI begins January 11 in Vadodara (Kotambi Stadium), followed by several T20Is in various venues including Nagpur and Trivandrum. This series acts as a key test of India’s white-ball combinations and will help the team tune up for higher-stakes tournaments.
Further into the year the board calendar lists hosting the Afghanistan national cricket team at home in June 2026 (1 Test + 3 ODIs). Also in July 2026, India will play a 3-ODI + 5-T20I series at home against the England national cricket team.
Tours Abroad: India on the Road
In terms of away assignments, India is scheduled to tour the Sri Lanka national cricket team in August 2026 for 2 Tests. Later, in September-October 2026 the tour of the West Indies national cricket team (home to India) is listed (3 ODIs + 5 T20Is) but also India’s away tour to the New Zealand national cricket team in October-November 2026 (2 Tests + 3 ODIs + 5 T20Is) according to the FTP.
Venues & Format Highlights
The January series against New Zealand will mark a return for some venues—Kotambi (Vadodara) is hosting a men’s international after many years. Multiple venues across India will be used, allowing fans across regions to participate. Tests, ODIs and T20Is are all featured; however, 2026 puts emphasis on white-ball cricket (ODI/T20) given upcoming global tournaments. Home conditions will be leveraged for spin and batting depth, while away tours (England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand) will test adaptability.
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Strategic Implications & What to Watch
For India this schedule is less about long red-ball blocks and more about white-ball refinement and squad depth. The early New Zealand series gives chance to test finishing batsmen, death bowling options in T20s. The England tour (home) and Sri Lanka tour will expose India to medium-pace/swing variations (England) and spin/batting subtleties (Sri Lanka). The away New Zealand assignment later in the year provides a full multi‐format challenge with Tests included. The scheduling also ensures India stays battle-ready ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.