Honestly, if you're an Indian cricket fan, you've probably already realized that 2026 is basically a marathon, not a sprint. We are looking at an absolutely packed calendar that feels like it was designed by someone who doesn't believe in sleep.
The india cricket schedule upcoming for this year is a wild mix of high-stakes ICC trophies, a massive IPL expansion, and a few tours that might actually break the internet—especially with the political tension hanging over certain matchups. Right now, we're deep into the home season, and things are about to get very loud, very quickly.
The Big One: T20 World Cup 2026
Forget everything else for a second. Between February 7 and March 8, India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting the 10th edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. This isn't just another tournament; it’s a 20-team behemoth. India is grouped with Pakistan, the USA, Netherlands, and Namibia.
The vibe for the India-Pakistan clash is already reaching a fever pitch, but here's the kicker: it's happening in Colombo at the R. Premadasa Stadium on February 15. Because of the ongoing situation between the two nations, Pakistan won’t be playing their matches on Indian soil.
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If you're tracking the Men in Blue, they kick things off against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai. After that, they head to Delhi to face Namibia on February 12, then the big one in Colombo, and finally back to Ahmedabad on February 18 to play the Netherlands.
The knockout stage is where it gets spicy. Semi-final 1 is in Kolkata on March 4, Semi-final 2 is in Mumbai on March 5, and the Final is scheduled for March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. However, there's a weird contingency plan: if Pakistan makes the final, the whole show moves to Colombo.
IPL 2026: More Matches, More Chaos
As soon as the World Cup trophy is lifted, players will have exactly 18 days to breathe before the TATA IPL 2026 kicks off on March 26. This year is different. The BCCI has officially expanded the tournament to 84 matches.
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) enter as defending champions—which still feels a bit surreal to say—and they’re expected to host the opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, there’s been some back-and-forth about venue clearances with the Karnataka government, so keep an eye on that.
The auction in Abu Dhabi already set the stage for some massive storylines. KKR broke the bank for Cameron Green (25.20 crore), and we saw uncapped Indian players like Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma land 14.20 crore contracts with CSK. It's a brand new era for the league. The final is set for May 31, 2026.
White-Ball Tours and the WTC Grind
Once the IPL dust settles in June, India hits the road. There’s a tentative tour of Afghanistan in June, followed by a massive white-ball trip to England in July. We’re looking at five T20Is and three ODIs across iconic venues like Lord’s, Edgbaston, and Old Trafford.
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The women's team has an equally grueling and exciting path. Harmanpreet Kaur’s squad is heading to Australia in February 2026 for a multi-format series. This includes a Day-Night Test at the redeveloped WACA Ground in Perth from March 6-9. Seeing the Indian women play a pink-ball Test in Australia is basically peak cricket content.
Later in the year, the focus for the men shifts back to the World Test Championship (WTC). India has critical away series in Sri Lanka (August) and New Zealand (October). With the Test team looking a bit shaky lately, these four Tests—two in each country—will basically decide if India makes it to another WTC final in 2027.
What’s On Hold?
You might have noticed a glaring hole in the india cricket schedule upcoming matches: Bangladesh. Because of the political and communal tensions that flared up late last year, the proposed tour of Bangladesh is currently shelved indefinitely. The BCCI hasn't officially cancelled it, but they haven't given it a date either. It's basically a "wait and see" situation that depends more on diplomats than cricketers.
Key Dates for Your Calendar:
- Jan 21 - Jan 31: New Zealand tour of India (T20Is)
- Feb 7: India vs USA (T20 World Cup Opener, Mumbai)
- Feb 15: India vs Pakistan (T20 World Cup, Colombo)
- March 8: T20 World Cup Final (Ahmedabad)
- March 26 - May 31: IPL 2026
- July 1 - July 19: India tour of England (White ball)
- August: India tour of Sri Lanka (2 Tests)
- October: India tour of New Zealand (3 ODIs, 2 Tests)
For fans, the real challenge is going to be the transition from the T20 World Cup straight into an expanded IPL. It’s a lot of cricket. But then again, is there ever really "too much" cricket in India? Probably not. Just make sure your streaming subscriptions are active and your work-from-home excuses are ready.
To keep up with the specific squad announcements, keep an eye on the BCCI's official portal and the ICC rankings, as form in the early New Zealand series will dictate who actually makes the final 15 for the World Cup. It's going to be a long year, so pace yourselves.