Team India will be back to playing international cricket with the start of the Asia Cup after last playing in the Test series against England. The tournament will be played in the UAE from September 9-28.
The last time India played T20I cricket was against England in January. They won the T20I series 4-1. After playing two months of rigorous Test cricket, they will now be back to playing the white-ball format.
The Asia Cup 2025 will start India’s build up to the T20 World Cup 2026, where they are the co-hosts alongside Sri Lanka. India’s squad for the Asia Cup is already announced and the series will be the perfect dress rehearsal for the big ICC event next year.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Sports Ministry Clarifies Stance On India-Pakistan Bilateral Ties
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Team India's Complete Schedule Heading Into T20 World Cup 2026
Event | Dates | Matches | Host Country |
Asia Cup | 9th -28th September,2025 | 3-7 T20Is | UAE |
India vs West Indies | 2nd-14th October 2025 | 2 Tests | India |
India vs Australia | 19th October-8th November, 2025 | 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is | Australia |
India vs South Africa | 14th November-19th December, 2025 | 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is | India |
India vs New Zealand | 11th-31st January, 2026 | 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is | India |
T20 World Cup 2026 | February-March 2026 | 4-9 T20Is | India/Sri Lanka |
The Asia Cup will start non-stop white-ball cricket season for the Men in Blue for the next six to seven months. In between, they will play two Test series against West Indies and South Africa, respectively, both at home. In this article, we will have a look at Team India’s international calendar in the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026.
As said earlier, India will kick start their preparations with the Asia Cup 2025, where they will play as many as seven T20Is if they make the final. They can play Pakistan thrice in the tournament, including the final. The tournament will end on September 28.
This will be followed by India’s home Test series against West Indies. This will be a two-match Test series played between October 2-14. Ahmedabad will host the first Test from October 2-6, followed by the second Test in Delhi from October 10-14.
Within five days after playing against West Indies, India hosts Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is between October 19-November 8, 2025. The T20I series against Australia will be another opportunity for the players to stake a claim for their T20 World Cup selection.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Team India Expected To Leave For Dubai on September 4 Or 5: Reports
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India To Play More Than 20 T20Is Before T20 World Cup 2026
After Australia, India hosts South Africa for two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. The Test series will be a part of the ongoing WTC cycle. The set of five T20s will give the selectors another chance to test out their bench strength. The series against South Africa will be played from November 14-December 19.
India then play three ODIs and five T20Is against the Kiwis as their final white-ball series before the T20 World Cup 2026 in February-March 2026. Thus, Team India will play more than 20 T20Is by the time they get to the T20 World Cup next year and thus has ample time on their hands to identify the core of 15 players to be named for the mega event.
Also Read: 'Game must go on': Wasim Akram's straightforward take on IND vs PAK match in Asia Cup
