Team India’s 2026 Cricket Calendar: T20 World Cup Home Defence, IPL Dates, and Key Series Revealed

Get the full Indian Cricket Team Schedule 2026! From the T20 World Cup home defence to IPL 2026 dates and the England tour, see every match and download the PDF.

Team India’s 2026 Cricket Calendar: T20 World Cup Home Defence, IPL Dates, and Key Series Revealed

Fans demand immediate clarity regarding the Indian Cricket Team Schedule 2026. The BCCI has finally delivered the complete fixture list. You can find a downloadable PDF version of this schedule below. First, check out the big dates that make up this huge year for the Men in Blue.

Early Year Fireworks: India vs New Zealand 2026 Schedule

Action begins almost immediately. The Black Caps arrive in January for a white-ball series. This is the team's last chance to warm up before the World Cup. The India vs New Zealand 2026 Schedule kicks off on January 11th with three ODIs. A five-match T20I blitz follows.

Vadodara hosts the opener. Meanwhile, the T20 leg travels to venues like Nagpur and Guwahati. This series gives the management a vital chance to pick the final squad. The Next T20 World Cup Date is getting closer every day.

The Main Event: ICC T20 World Cup Defence

Expectations peak in February. India co-host the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Sri Lanka. The main tournament starts on February 7th. India play their first game against the USA in Mumbai on the opening night.

The fixture list includes a high-stakes clash against Pakistan on February 15th in Colombo. Supporters should mark their calendars for the final on March 8th. The team looks to retain the trophy on home soil.

Summer Blockbuster: IPL 2026 Start Date

The focus moves to franchise cricket immediately after the World Cup. The BCCI has confirmed the IPL 2026 Start Date as March 26th. The tournament will run until May 31st. This gives players a small break after the World Cup final. It lets them recover before the season starts.

Franchises got word of this window in December 2025. This helps them manage player workloads properly. This longer window also suggests a packed double round-robin format. It gives fans non-stop action through the Indian summer.

International Touring: England and Beyond

Red-ball cricket comes back into focus in the second half of the year. The team hosts Afghanistan for a rare Test match in June. Afterwards, the squad travels to the UK. The tour of England in July features five T20Is and three ODIs. It ends with a big match at Lord's on July 19th.

Later in the year, the squad heads to Japan for the Asian Games in September. They then host the West Indies. Finally, they tour New Zealand for a tough all-format series in October and November.

ALSO READ: MCG Curator Breaks Silence: 'We Didn't Plan for This' After Two-Day Ashes Chaos.

Confirmed Indian Cricket Team Schedule 2026

Dates Series / Tournament Format Host
Jan 11 - Jan 18 India vs New Zealand 3 ODIs India
Jan 21 – Jan 31 India vs New Zealand 5 T20Is India
Feb 7 – Mar 8 ICC Men's T20 World Cup T20Is India / SL
Mar 26 – May 31 IPL 2026 T20 India
June India vs Afghanistan 1 Test, 3 ODIs India
July 1 – July 19 India Tour of England 5 T20Is, 3 ODIs England
August India Tour of Sri Lanka 2 Tests Sri Lanka
Sep 19 – Oct 4 Asian Games T20 Japan
Oct – Nov India Tour of New Zealand 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is New Zealand
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