India Cricket Home Season 2026-27: Complete Schedule & Tours
Share this article
India's 2026-27 home season is the longest, densest and arguably most consequential home calendar India have hosted in a decade. Four visiting teams, twenty-two international matches across all three formats, seventeen Indian cities involved, and an arc that runs from a September entry point all the way through to a March 2027 finish line — at which point India's squad list pivots, almost without pause, into the 2027 ODI World Cup at home.
This is the master hub. We have one page each on the four individual tours, and one umbrella here that maps the season top-to-bottom — every series, every venue, every storyline, and the quiet handful of selectorial moments that will define the next 18 months of Indian cricket.
Season at a glance
- Window: September 2026 to March 2027
- Visiting teams: West Indies, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Australia
- Total matches: ~22 international fixtures (Tests + ODIs + T20Is across the four series)
- Host: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
- Cities involved: 17 across the country
- Crown jewel: Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2027 (Australia, January-February 2027)
- Why it matters: Final home season before the 2027 ODI World Cup at home; Rohit and Kohli's likely home farewell window; final stretch of the WTC 2025-27 cycle
The season is structured in four blocks. September-October: West Indies, the longest tour of the season. November-December: Sri Lanka, a shorter white-ball-heavy series. January early: Zimbabwe, a quick three-match ODI series. January-February-March: Australia, the BGT 2027, and the climax of the season.
For the build-up immediately before the home season, see our India tour of England 2026 hub. For an overview of every series across the calendar, the cricket calendar 2026-27 is the master index.
Quick reference: the four tours
| Tour | Window | Format | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Indies tour | Sep 25 – Oct 25, 2026 | 2 Tests + 3 ODIs + 5 T20Is | Tests in Mumbai, Bengaluru |
| Sri Lanka tour | Nov 28 – Dec 27, 2026 | 3 ODIs + 3 T20Is | 3rd T20I Pune, Dec 27 |
| Zimbabwe tour | Jan 3 – Jan 12, 2027 | 3 ODIs | Series opens Eden Gardens, Jan 3 |
| Australia tour (BGT 2027) | Jan 21 – Mar 8, 2027 | 5 Tests + 3 ODIs + 3 T20Is | 1st Test Nagpur, Jan 21-25 |
All dates are based on the BCCI's indicative calendar and are subject to formal confirmation closer to each series. Where we have a high-confidence specific date (BGT 1st Test Nagpur Jan 21-25, Zimbabwe ODI 1 Eden Gardens Jan 3, Sri Lanka 3rd T20I Pune Dec 27), it is flagged in each section.
Tour 1: West Indies tour of India (September-October 2026)
Overview
West Indies arrive in late September for the season opener — a long, heavily front-loaded tour that includes two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. It is West Indies' first full bilateral tour of India since 2022, and the first since their 2024 T20 World Cup co-hosted with the USA.
Format and provisional schedule
| # | Match | Provisional date | Likely venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st Test | Sep 25 – Sep 29, 2026 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 2 | 2nd Test | Oct 3 – Oct 7, 2026 | M. Chinnaswamy, Bengaluru |
| 3 | 1st ODI | Oct 11, 2026 | Lucknow (Ekana) |
| 4 | 2nd ODI | Oct 14, 2026 | Indore (Holkar) |
| 5 | 3rd ODI | Oct 17, 2026 | Visakhapatnam (ACA-VDCA) |
| 6 | 1st T20I | Oct 19, 2026 | Hyderabad (Uppal) |
| 7 | 2nd T20I | Oct 21, 2026 | Cuttack (Barabati) |
| 8 | 3rd T20I | Oct 23, 2026 | Guwahati (Barsapara) |
| 9 | 4th T20I | Oct 24, 2026 | Dharamsala (HPCA) |
| 10 | 5th T20I | Oct 25, 2026 | Thiruvananthapuram (Karyavattom) |
What to watch
- WTC points: Both Tests count for the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. India sits comfortably ahead of West Indies in the Test rankings, and these are vital points to bank.
- Brandon King and Shai Hope: West Indies' T20I and ODI batting cores. Both have history of scoring runs in India.
- Test debut watch: Expect at least one Indian Test debut across the two-match series, given Rohit's squad rotation post-England.
- Spin pecking order: Ashwin's last home Test season? Jadeja, Kuldeep, Washington Sundar all auditioning.
Squad notes
India's Test core remains: Rohit (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Jadeja, Ashwin, Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul. The white-ball squads will rotate aggressively, with this series being India's primary T20I audition window before the home summer of 2027.
For the standalone hub, see West Indies tour of India 2026.
Tour 2: Sri Lanka tour of India (November-December 2026)
Overview
Sri Lanka return to India for a short, white-ball-only tour. Three ODIs and three T20Is, with the 3rd T20I confirmed for Pune on December 27, 2026 — the final fixture of the calendar year and the closing white-ball assignment before the BGT.
Format and provisional schedule
| # | Match | Provisional date | Likely venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st ODI | Nov 28, 2026 | Rajkot (SCA Stadium) |
| 2 | 2nd ODI | Dec 1, 2026 | Mohali (PCA Stadium) |
| 3 | 3rd ODI | Dec 4, 2026 | Delhi (Arun Jaitley) |
| 4 | 1st T20I | Dec 21, 2026 | Hyderabad (Uppal) |
| 5 | 2nd T20I | Dec 24, 2026 | Mumbai (Wankhede) |
| 6 | 3rd T20I | Dec 27, 2026 | Pune (MCA Stadium) |
What to watch
- A spin-vs-spin contest: Both sides have deep spin attacks. Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga will test India's middle order.
- Pune T20I as a season-closer: A New Year's Eve adjacent fixture under lights at MCA Pune is the kind of T20I that carries cultural weight for both fan bases.
- Rotation: Expect the BCCI to use this short tour to rest senior players ahead of BGT.
For the standalone hub, see Sri Lanka tour of India 2026.
Tour 3: Zimbabwe tour of India (January 2027)
Overview
A rare full Zimbabwe tour of India — three ODIs only, opening at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on January 3, 2027. The series is a goodwill gesture and a useful low-stakes runway for India's second-string ODI squad to get reps before the BGT and the 2027 World Cup.
Format and provisional schedule
| # | Match | Provisional date | Confirmed/likely venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st ODI | Jan 3, 2027 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 2 | 2nd ODI | Jan 7, 2027 | Nagpur (VCA, Jamtha) |
| 3 | 3rd ODI | Jan 12, 2027 | Ranchi (JSCA) |
What to watch
- Sikandar Raza: The Zimbabwe veteran all-rounder, still the best player in their squad, with experience of scoring against India.
- A second-string India squad: Likely an opportunity for Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad and others to feature in 50-over cricket.
- Eden Gardens series opener: A January ODI at Eden Gardens has a quiet historical resonance — the venue has hosted some of India's biggest one-day moments. The pitch in early January should be a true ODI surface.
For the standalone hub, see Zimbabwe tour of India 2027.
Tour 4: Australia tour of India — Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2027 (January-March 2027)
Overview
The crown jewel. Australia arrive in India in mid-January for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2027, a five-Test series that is the final assignment of the 2025-27 WTC cycle for both sides. After the Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is round out a long, demanding tour that will define the season.
Format and provisional schedule (Tests)
| # | Test | Confirmed/provisional date | Likely venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st Test | Jan 21-25, 2027 | VCA Stadium, Nagpur |
| 2 | 2nd Test | Jan 29 – Feb 2, 2027 | M. Chinnaswamy, Bengaluru |
| 3 | 3rd Test | Feb 6-10, 2027 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 4 | 4th Test | Feb 14-18, 2027 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 5 | 5th Test | Feb 22-26, 2027 | HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala |
Format and provisional schedule (white-ball)
| # | Match | Provisional date | Likely venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1st ODI | Mar 1, 2027 | Hyderabad |
| 7 | 2nd ODI | Mar 4, 2027 | Visakhapatnam |
| 8 | 3rd ODI | Mar 7, 2027 | Pune |
| 9 | 1st T20I | Mar 9, 2027 | Indore |
| 10 | 2nd T20I | Mar 11, 2027 | Bengaluru |
| 11 | 3rd T20I | Mar 14, 2027 | Mumbai |
What to watch
- WTC final qualification: The five Tests are the closing chapter of the 2025-27 cycle. India and Australia could realistically be the two qualifiers for the WTC final at Lord's 2027 — meaning a 5-Test series where every match decides who travels to Lord's in June. Use the WTC India simulator to model the qualification math through the season.
- Rohit and Kohli's home Test farewell? Neither has confirmed retirement plans, but both have said the 2027 World Cup is the end of their ODI careers. The BGT could be the last home Test series for one or both. The crowd attention will be enormous.
- Pat Cummins vs Bumrah: The two best fast bowlers of the era. Cummins played the BGT 2024-25 in Australia; this will be his second BGT as captain. Bumrah's workload management is, again, the central question.
- Travis Head and Steve Smith: Australia's two best Test batsmen of the cycle. Smith is, on every metric, the best Test batsman of his generation — and India is the venue where he has been most challenged.
- Rishabh Pant's home Test resurgence: Pant's Test record at home is, if anything, even better than his road record. Expect a series-defining innings.
Squad notes
The Indian Test squad for BGT 2027 will be selected from a wider pool than usual, given the WTC stakes. Expect the core: Rohit (c), Jaiswal, Gill, Kohli, Pant, Jadeja, Bumrah, Siraj, Ashwin (likely), Kuldeep, Washington, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep. The Australia squad will be Cummins (c), Smith, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland.
For the standalone hub, see Australia tour of India 2027 — BGT.
Why this season matters
Three reasons this is not a routine home season.
1. World Cup 2027 build-up
The 2027 ODI World Cup is in India, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia (co-hosted). India is the headline host. Roughly six of the 22 fixtures across this home season are ODIs — the entirety of India's home ODI bandwidth before the tournament. Selectors will use these matches to lock in the World Cup squad. Form across this season directly determines the World Cup XI. There is no second chance.
2. Rohit and Kohli home farewell speculation
Neither has officially set a retirement date. Both have publicly said the 2027 ODI World Cup is the closing chapter of their international careers. Some scenarios:
- Both retire from Tests after BGT 2027. Most likely. The BGT is then a home Test farewell.
- Both retire from ODIs after the 2027 World Cup. Almost certain.
- Both play on into the 2028 T20 World Cup. Highly unlikely; both have effectively stepped back from T20Is already.
The home season is the venue. Every Indian crowd from Mumbai to Dharamsala will know it could be the final time. The atmosphere will be different.
3. WTC 2025-27 cycle finale
The 5-Test BGT in February 2027 is the last assignment of the WTC cycle for India and Australia both. Whoever takes the series wins the cycle and goes to Lord's in June 2027 for the WTC Final. The points system primer is in our ICC WTC rules guide; the cycle context is in the WTC 2025-27 explainer.
Cities involved
The 22 fixtures span 17 Indian cities — a comprehensive geographic footprint that the BCCI deliberately rotates to spread the home calendar:
Test venues (BGT + WI Tests): Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata (Eden Gardens), Nagpur, Dharamsala
ODI venues: Lucknow, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Mohali, Delhi, Eden Gardens (again), Nagpur (again), Ranchi, Hyderabad, Pune
T20I venues: Hyderabad, Cuttack, Guwahati, Dharamsala (again), Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Pune, Indore (again), Bengaluru (again)
The only major Indian cricketing city not hosting a fixture this season: Chennai (likely held back for the 2027 WC). That is a significant rotation choice — Chennai usually anchors at least one fixture in any home season.
Broadcast plan
All 22 fixtures are contracted to the BCCI's domestic broadcast deal, which currently runs through Star Sports (TV) and Disney+ Hotstar (digital). Hindi commentary is expected on Star Sports 2 and 5. Regional language commentary feeds (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi) are typically available for marquee fixtures.
A broader rights renewal cycle is expected before the 2027 World Cup, so this could change. We will update this section if it does.
Storylines we are tracking across the season
- Bumrah's workload across 22 matches. He cannot play all of them. The question is which.
- Rohit Sharma's captaincy succession plan. Shubman Gill the locked-in heir? Hardik Pandya the white-ball captain? KL Rahul the surprise?
- The bowling pecking order. Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Shami's return, Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana — five names, three Test slots.
- Pant vs Rahul as the Test wicketkeeper. Pant in form; Rahul as the patient long-game choice.
- The young Test batters. Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal — who locks down a Test spot before BGT?
Tickets and on-ground info
Tickets for marquee fixtures (BGT Tests, Eden Gardens ODI, the Pune T20I closer) will sell out within hours of opening. Buy through the official portal announced by the host association — third-party resellers inflate prices and risk invalid tickets at the gate. Photo ID matching the booking name is required at the gate. Each venue has a published prohibited-items list (no DSLR cameras at most, no outside food and drink, no large bags).
For the BGT Tests specifically, the BCCI typically opens member presales 4-6 weeks ahead of each match, with a public sale 2-3 weeks ahead. Prices for general stand tickets start around ₹500 and run to ₹5,000+ for premium boxes.
Quick links
- The lead-in tour: India tour of England 2026
- The franchise league running parallel: MLC 2026 hub
- Just before this season: Afghanistan tour of India 2026
- Master calendar: Cricket calendar 2026-27
- Test cycle context: WTC 2025-27 cycle explained, ICC WTC rules and points system, ICC Men's Test rankings analysis
- WTC simulator: WTC India simulator tool
For more cricket previews, see our domestic cricket category.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the India home season 2026-27 start? The home season begins on September 25, 2026, with the first Test of the West Indies tour at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. It runs through to mid-March 2027, ending with the final T20I of the Australia tour. In total, 22 international matches across all three formats.
Which teams are touring India in 2026-27? Four teams: West Indies (Sep-Oct 2026), Sri Lanka (Nov-Dec 2026), Zimbabwe (Jan 2027), and Australia (Jan-Mar 2027). The Australia tour includes the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2027 — five Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.
When is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2027? The BGT 2027 is the five-Test series that begins on January 21, 2027 at the VCA Stadium, Nagpur. The series runs through to late February 2027. It is the final assignment of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle for India and Australia.
Will Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retire after this season? Neither has officially confirmed a retirement date. Both have publicly indicated that the 2027 ODI World Cup is the closing chapter of their international careers. Speculation around a Test farewell at the end of BGT 2027 is widespread but unconfirmed. CricJosh will track the conversation as the season progresses.
Where can I watch India home season 2026-27 in India? All matches will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network in India (TV) and streamed on Disney+ Hotstar (digital), as part of the BCCI's current domestic broadcast contract. Regional language commentary feeds are typically available on Star's sub-channels for marquee fixtures.
The 2026-27 home season is the longest, densest and most consequential in a decade. Bookmark this hub — it is the master index for every CricJosh piece on every series across the next six months.
Share this article
Rahul Sharma
Expert in: Domestic CricketRahul Sharma has played district-level cricket in Mumbai for 8 years and has personally tested more than 50 bats, pads, gloves, and helmets across different price ranges. He joined CricJosh to help Indian club cricketers make smarter equipment choices without overpaying. His reviews are based on real match and net session use, not sponsored samples.
Why trust this review: Rahul has used every product in this review across multiple match and net sessions before writing a word. He buys equipment at retail price and accepts no free samples.
Related Articles
8 min read · 2 May 2026