Story by Bahari Duniya | Written by Ranjan Sharma
The Indian men’s cricket team is set to kick off their 2026 season with an exciting series of limited-overs matches against New Zealand, starting from the second week of January. Following this home series, the Men in Blue will shift their focus to the T20 World Cup in February, aiming to make a strong impression on the global stage. With a packed calendar ahead, cricket fans can look forward to a thrilling start to the year filled with competitive cricket, star performances, and plenty of action across formats.
The defending champions will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign in Mumbai on February 7, marking the start of an action-packed year across all formats. Once the tournament concludes and the IPL 2026 edition takes its usual calendar break, India’s focus will turn to the longer formats.
Attention will then shift toward preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, alongside crucial matches that will determine their qualification path for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in the 2025-27 cycle. With a busy year ahead, fans can expect the Men in Blue to showcase their skills, adapt across formats, and continue their dominance on the international stage.
According to the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), India will play 49 matches across formats in 2026, making for a busy international calendar. The Men in Blue will kick off with limited-overs matches against New Zealand, followed by the T20 World Cup in February. The proposed tour of Bangladesh has been shelved indefinitely due to political tensions, but India’s schedule remains packed with opportunities across all formats.
Starting January 11, India will feature in 18 ODIs in 2026. This includes three matches against Afghanistan in June, three against England in July, six against West Indies and Sri Lanka later in the year, and another three against New Zealand in October. While some details, particularly for the Afghanistan tour, remain unclear, the Men in Blue’s ODI calendar promises a busy and competitive year across the globe.
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
| January 2026 | india | 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is |
| June 2026 | India | 1 Test, 3 ODIs |
| July 2026 | India | 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is |
| August 2026 | Sri Lanka | 2 Tests |
| September 2026 | Afghanistan | 3 T20 |
| September-October 2026 | India | 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is |
| October-November 2026 | New Zealand | 2 Test, 3 ODI, 5 T20Is |
| December 2026 | India | 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is |