NEW DELHI — After a roller-coaster 2025, the Indian men’s cricket team is set for an exceptionally busy 2026, highlighted by a home T20 World Cup title defense, a packed slate of one-day internationals, and demanding World Test Championship assignments in overseas conditions.
India enjoyed a memorable 2025, winning the Champions Trophy in Dubai, where a four-pronged spin attack proved decisive. The team also continued its strong run in T20 internationals, claiming bilateral series wins at home and abroad, including the Asia Cup, though the T20 World Cup trophy has yet to be lifted again since 2024.
Test cricket, however, delivered mixed results. A defeat to Australia in Sydney saw India lose the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 and miss out on qualification for the World Test Championship final. The year also marked the end of an era, with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara retiring from the format, triggering a major transition.
Shubman Gill took over as Test captain and later assumed leadership of the ODI side. India managed a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England and secured a comfortable 2-0 home series win over the West Indies, but struggles resurfaced with a 2-0 defeat in South Africa following a 3-0 loss to New Zealand earlier. Persistent changes in the Test batting order have raised questions about stability and long-term planning.
The focus in 2026 will shift firmly to white-ball cricket. India’s schedule begins with New Zealand touring for three ODIs and five T20Is, with attention centered on the T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India will enter the tournament as defending champions after their 2024 triumph in Barbados. Based on current form and squad depth, the team will be aiming to become the first host nation to win a men’s T20 World Cup and the first side to claim three titles in the tournament’s history.
Following the T20 World Cup and the IPL 2026 season, India’s calendar resumes in June with Afghanistan touring for one Test, which will fall outside the World Test Championship cycle, and three ODIs. That will be followed by a white-ball tour of England in July, featuring three ODIs and five T20Is.
India’s World Test Championship campaign for the new cycle begins in August with a two-Test series in Sri Lanka, a challenging assignment on spin-friendly pitches where the team has struggled in recent years.
A short three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in the UAE is tentatively scheduled for September, while a proposed tour of Bangladesh appears uncertain due to ongoing tensions. India will also compete in the Asian Games T20 tournament in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, likely fielding a second-string squad.
The home season begins in September and October with the West Indies visiting for three ODIs and five T20Is. India will then head to New Zealand in October and November for a marquee all-format tour comprising two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is.
India will conclude the year by hosting Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is in December as preparations continue for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup.
With commitments across all three formats, workload management will be critical as India pursues silverware and consistency through an intense year of international cricket. (Source: IANS)
