For Indian cricket, the latter months of 2026 will be about playing lots of short-form cricket, domestic cricket, and squad selection. On the schedule, we have the upcoming senior men’s T20I against Japan, the Asian Games, an eight-match series at home to the West Indies, and a six-match white-ball series against Sri Lanka. The senior women have the ongoing Asian Games, a home series against Zimbabwe, and a trip to South Africa in December.
2026 will also be about team construction, with availability, format, position, and workload being just as important as popularity when it comes to so many Indian teams playing at once. There have already been squad selections that have shifted because of injury or overlapping commitments, giving fans yet another reason to pay attention to squad announcements.
The Japan and the Asian Games
Next for the men’s international series will be a T20I against Japan on September 22 at Sano International Cricket Ground. Then comes the Asian Games for India, where the quarter-finals will be on September 28, followed by semi-finals on October 1 and medal matches on October 3, if they manage to qualify.
This will be a very volatile time as some players are on a hectic schedule. Nitish Kumar Reddy, originally selected for the Asian Games, was withdrawn from that squad and included in India’s ODI squad for the West Indies series. He also remains in the West Indies T20I squad. Check the latest available information before deciding where to bet on sports online.
The West Indies Series
India’s senior men’s team will play the West Indies in a series running from September 27 to October 17, 2026. The teams will play three ODIs and five T20Is.
The three ODIs will be played on September 27, September 30 and October 3. The five T20Is will be held on October 6, October 9, October 11, October 14 and October 17.
India’s ODI squad has both experienced veterans such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill will captain the side with KL Rahul as vice-captain. Naman Dhir and Auqib Nabi have received their first ODI call-ups.
Iyer will lead India in the T20Is while Tilak Varma will be the vice-captain. ODIs and T20s are two different formats of the game; hence, performance by batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders will differ from each other.
India’s Women’s Team
The Indian women’s cricket team has been quite busy so far in 2026 and will continue to be so throughout the year. India won against Japan in the quarter-final of the Asian Games on 18th September and will play the semi-finals on 20th September. The game for the bronze medal and the final will take place on 22nd September.
They will then face Zimbabwe in a series of 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs, after which they will first host Zimbabwe in a series of 3 T20Is in Raipur from 16th October to 20th October and afterwards will host the same in three ODIs in Baroda from 23rd October to 28th October.
Domestic Cricket
The domestic first-class schedule forms an important component of the pathway. The Irani Cup match between Rest of India and Jammu and Kashmir will be held from 1st till 5th October.
The first phase of the 2026-2027 Ranji Trophy tournament will be played from 11th October till 5th November; the second begins on 17th January 2027.
There has been criticism of this scheduling, even from Sunil Gavaskar, who says that the rhythm and momentum get destroyed. The point that stands out for teams is that the first phase of the Ranji Trophy is an important opportunity for pre-white-ball-season matches.
India A would also play against Australia A in Puducherry from September 22nd to 25th and September 29th to October 2nd. Also included are three one-day matches on October 6, 9, and 11. India U19 will also play against Australia U19 in three one-day matches on September 18, 21, and 23, which are followed by two multi-day matches from September 27th to 30th and October 5th to 8th.
T20 Action
The primary domestic T20 tournament in India is the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and it is scheduled to take place between November 14 and December 6. The Vijay Hazare Trophy comes up soon after on December 14, with the end date of the Elite League group being December 29. These tournaments may help in pushing some players up the depth chart before the new year starts.
Even the T20 calendar is jam-packed for 2026. The Women’s Big Bash League takes place from October 29 until December 5, while the fifth season of the International League T20 is supposed to take place in November and December. For those fantasy leagues which focus on India, treat each tournament independently and look at how each player fits in the team he plays in, whether he is likely to be included in the XI, his workload, and the format. Availability will be as important as reputation in 2026.
Watch out for updates regarding squad changes, injuries, and probable XIs before any game. With all the international cricket, the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and all kinds of T20s, India’s roster is going to be put to the test.
| Type | Details | |
| Asian Games | India Men | The final’s on October 3rd. |
| Asian Games | India Women | The final is on September 22nd. |
| Japan T20I | India Men | One T20I at Sano International Cricket Ground. |
| West Indies Series | India Men | Three ODIs and five T20Is. |
| Zimbabwe Series | India Women | Three T20Is and three ODIs. |
| Irani Cup | Domestic Cricket | Rest of India vs Jammu and Kashmir. |
| Ranji Trophy | Domestic Cricket | First phase of the 2026 to 27 season. |
| T20 and Domestic Action | Indian Cricket | Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. |
