Anirudh, an engineer by training, has been contributing to Khel Now since 2024. He loves crafting inspiring stories.
Published at :January 1, 2026 at 9:59 PM
Modified at :January 1, 2026 at 9:59 PM
The Indian cricket team’s first match of 2026 will be against New Zealand.
The Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams are gearing up for yet another action-packed season, with the men’s side kicking off the year by hosting the Black Caps for a white-ball bilateral series, which will serve as the perfect preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
It will give Team India a rare opportunity to become the first team to defend their title in T20 World Cup history. Their group consists of Pakistan, the USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands, making the initial phase of the competition fairly easy for a formidable unit like India.
Subsequently, should they qualify, they’ll engage in super 8 clashes, followed by semi-finals and the final. Meanwhile, the fourth edition of WPL will kick off in the second week of January.
India’s U19 squad will travel to South Africa for a three-match ODI series, ahead of the World Cup. Ayush Mhatre will lead the side, as India hope to go one step further from last time around, and lift the trophy.
The calendar remains busy post-World Cup, with the IPL dominating March-May, followed by bilateral commitments including a full tour of England (five T20Is and three ODIs in July), a lone-test match for the Indian women’s team in England, and red-ball assignments for the men’s side against Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and New Zealand.
India’s tour of New Zealand will be interesting because India have historically had a poor record there. It will also be a test for the Shubman Gill-led side, given their poor run in the red-ball format.
In the Asian Games, which will be held during September and October, both the men’s and women’s teams will have the opportunity to defend their gold medals in the T20 format. The year finally ends with a white-ball series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, on home soil.
Indian Cricket Team schedule for the 2026 calendar year-
January
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
3 Jan 2026
South Africa U19
Youth ODI
Willowmoore Park, Benoni
5 Jan 2026
South Africa U19
Youth ODI
Willowmoore Park, Benoni
7 Jan 2026
South Africa U19
Youth ODI
Willowmoore Park, Benoni
15 Jan 2026
United States of America U19
ICC U19 World Cup (Group Stage)
Bulawayo
17 Jan 2026
Bangladesh U19
ICC U19 World Cup (Group Stage)
Bulawayo
24 Jan 2026
New Zealand U19
ICC U19 World Cup (Group Stage)
Bulawayo
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
11 Jan 2026
New Zealand
ODI
Baroda Cricket Association Stadium, Vadodara
14 Jan 2026
New Zealand
ODI
Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
18 Jan 2026
New Zealand
ODI
Holkar Stadium, Indore
21 Jan 2026
New Zealand
T20I
New Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
23 Jan 2026
New Zealand
T20I
Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Nava Raipur
25 Jan 2026
New Zealand
T20I
Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati
28 Jan 2026
New Zealand
T20I
ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
31 Jan 2026
New Zealand
T20I
The Sports Hub, Thiruvananthapuram
Women’s Premier League (WPL): January 9 to February 5, 2026
February
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
7 Feb 2026
USA
ICC T20 WC (Group Stage)
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
12 Feb 2026
Namibia
ICC T20 WC (Group Stage)
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
15 Feb 2026
Pakistan
ICC T20 WC (Group Stage)
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
18 Feb 2026
Netherlands
ICC T20 WC (Group Stage)
Narendra Modi International Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad
March – May
Indian Premier League (IPL): 26 March to 31 May, 2026
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
15 Feb 2026
Australia Women
T20I
Sydney
19 Feb 2026
Australia Women
T20I
Canberra
21 Feb 2026
Australia Women
T20I
Adelaide
24 Feb 2026
Australia Women
ODI
Brisbane
27 Feb 2026
Australia Women
ODI
Hobart
1 Mar 2026
Australia Women
ODI
Hobart
6-9 Mar 2026
Australia Women
Test (D/N)
Perth
May – June
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
28 May 2026
England Women
T20I
Chelmsford
30 May 2026
England Women
T20I
Bristol
2 Jun 2026
England Women
T20I
Taunton
June
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
TBD
Afghanistan
TEST
TBD, India
TBD
Afghanistan
ODI
TBD, India
TBD
Afghanistan
ODI
TBD, India
TBD
Afghanistan
ODI
TBD, India
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
14 Jun 2026
Pakistan Women
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (Group Stage)
Birmingham
17 Jun 2026
TBA
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (Group Stage)
Leeds
21 Jun 2026
South Africa Women
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (Group Stage)
Manchester
25 Jun 2026
TBA
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (Group Stage)
Manchester
28 Jun 2026
Australia Women
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (Group Stage)
Lord’s
July
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
1 Jul 2026
England
T20I
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
4 Jul 2026
England
T20I
Old Trafford, Manchester
7 Jul 2026
England
T20I
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
9 Jul 2026
England
T20I
Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol
11 Jul 2026
England
T20I
The Rose Bowl, Southampton
14 Jul 2026
England
ODI
Edgbaston, Birmingham
16 Jul 2026
England
ODI
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
19 Jul 2026
England
ODI
Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
10 Jul 2026
England Women
TEST
Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
August
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
TBD
Sri Lanka
TEST
TBD, Sri Lanka
TBD
Sri Lanka
TEST
TBD, Sri Lanka
September
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
TBD
Afghanistan
T20I
TBD
TBD
Afghanistan
T20I
TBD
TBD
Afghanistan
T20I
TBD
September-October
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
TBD
West Indies
ODI
TBD, India
TBD
West Indies
ODI
TBD, India
TBD
West Indies
ODI
TBD, India
TBD
West Indies
T20I
TBD, India
TBD
West Indies
T20I
TBD, India
TBD
West Indies
T20I
TBD, India
TBD
West Indies
T20I
TBD, India
TBD
West Indies
T20I
TBD, India
Date
Event
Format
Venue
Sep 19 – Oct 4
Asian Games
T20I
Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
October-November
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
TBD
New Zealand
TEST
TBD, NZ
TBD
New Zealand
TEST
TBD, NZ
TBD
New Zealand
ODI
TBD, NZ
TBD
New Zealand
ODI
TBD, NZ
TBD
New Zealand
ODI
TBD, NZ
December
Date
Opponent
Format
Venue
TBD
Sri Lanka
ODI
TBD, India
TBD
Sri Lanka
ODI
TBD, India
TBD
Sri Lanka
ODI
TBD, India
TBD
Sri Lanka
T20I
TBD, India
TBD
Sri Lanka
T20I
TBD, India
TBD
Sri Lanka
T20I
TBD, India
Who will India play in their first match of 2026?
India’s first match of 2026 will be against New Zealand in a home ODI.
Will India play any Test series in 2026?
Yes, with scheduled red-ball series against Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and New Zealand.
What will be India’s biggest target in 2026?
Defending the ICC T20 World Cup title on home soil.
Aniruddh Seshadri Iyer is a passionate sports journalist at Khel Now, specializing in tennis and Olympic sports. An engineer by training, he found his storytelling passion through iconic Grand Slam and Olympic moments. Known for sharp analysis and insightful coverage, he draws inspiration from Novak Djokovic’s resilience. Outside journalism, he enjoys reading, traveling, and playing the guitar.
