The upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE will mark the beginning of preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup for several teams, including India.
O2026 T20 World Cup: Team India announced its squad for the continental event, introducing multiple changes from the last T20I series.
2026 T20 World Cup : One of the major highlights was Shubman Gill’s comeback after over a year, with the added responsibility of vice-captaincy, signaling his importance in India’s World Cup plans for next year’s tournament in India and Sri Lanka. The Men in Blue will begin their Asia Cup campaign on September 9 and are expected to play a busy schedule leading up to the mega event in 2026.
Australia tour after Asia Cup
India are tipped as strong contenders for the Asia Cup. Following the event, they will travel to Australia for a white-ball series comprising three ODIs and five T20Is. The T20I leg will run from October 29 to November 8, with games in Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Gold Coast, and Brisbane.
Home series vs South Africa and New Zealand
After the Australia series, India, under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, will host South Africa and New Zealand in back-to-back T20I assignments before the World Cup. India will play 10 T20Is at home during this phase. The South Africa series is scheduled between December 9 and 19, with matches in Cuttack, Mullanpur, Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad.
Soon after, New Zealand will visit India for a five-match T20I series from January 21 to 31, just ahead of the T20 World Cup slated for February–March.
Team India’s T20 Schedule Ahead of World Cup 2026
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September 2025 – Asia Cup in UAE (7 T20Is including final)
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October–November 2025 – 5 T20Is vs Australia (away)
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Oct 29 – 1st T20I, Canberra
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Oct 31 – 2nd T20I, Melbourne
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Nov 2 – 3rd T20I, Hobart
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Nov 6 – 4th T20I, Gold Coast
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Nov 8 – 5th T20I, Brisbane
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December 2025 – 5 T20Is vs South Africa (home)
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Dec 9 – 1st T20I, Cuttack
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Dec 11 – 2nd T20I, Mullanpur
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Dec 14 – 3rd T20I, Dharamsala
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Dec 17 – 4th T20I, Lucknow
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Dec 19 – 5th T20I, Ahmedabad
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January 2026 – 5 T20Is vs New Zealand (home)
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Jan 21 – 1st T20I, Nagpur
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Jan 23 – 2nd T20I, Raipur
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Jan 25 – 3rd T20I, Guwahati
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Jan 28 – 4th T20I, Vizag
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Jan 31 – 5th T20I, Thiruvananthapuram
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