India Tour of West Indies 2026: Tests, ODIs & Schedule Tracker

The India-West Indies Test rivalry has been quietly one of the most consistent fixtures in the international calendar since the 1960s. India has toured the Caribbean in 1962, 1971, 1976, 1983, 1989, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2019 and 2023 — almost exactly every three years through six decades. So the question for 2026 is not whether India tours the West Indies, but when in this WTC 2025-27 cycle, and what the post-Kohli, post-Sharma Indian Test side will actually look like in Caribbean conditions.

Status note (May 2026). As of publication, the BCCI's confirmed 2026 fixture list shows the West Indies touring India in September-October 2026 for three ODIs and five T20Is — the reverse of an India tour. A return India tour of the West Indies has not been added to the public-facing 2026 calendar at the time of writing. This piece tracks the FTP context, the rivalry's recent history, and what an India-Caribbean leg in the WTC 2025-27 cycle would look like if added. We will update this article the moment a tour is confirmed.

What the FTP actually shows

The Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the 2023-2027 cycle, the most recent ICC-published version, shows India and the West Indies committed to bilateral cricket on both sides of the Atlantic across the cycle. The most recent India-WI Test series in the Caribbean was 2023, and the convention since 2016 has been a 2-Test, 3-ODI, 3-T20I tour every two-to-three years.

The window most likely to host an India tour of the West Indies in the WTC 2025-27 cycle:

• Mid-2027: after the IPL 2027 season and before the September-October Asia Cup window. This is the convention most subcontinent tours of the Caribbean have followed in the last decade.
• Mid-2026 (less likely): would have to fit between the IPL 2026 final and the India tour of England 2026 which lands in July.

For the 2026 reverse fixture (West Indies in India), see the West Indies tour of India 2025-26 series page on ESPNcricinfo.

What an India-WI Test series in the WTC 2025-27 cycle would mean

A two-Test India-WI series — even one not on the immediate calendar — would carry serious WTC PCT weight for both sides.

For India:

• Currently sixth in the WTC 2025-27 standings on roughly 58% PCT after losing a home series 0-2 to South Africa.
• India needs roughly 75-80% PCT through the rest of the cycle to finish in the top two.
• A 2-0 away win in the Caribbean would yield 24 of 24 points and add meaningful PCT.
• A 1-1 series would yield 16 of 24 (66.7% PCT) — survivable but not enough alone.

For the West Indies:

• A 2-0 home win against India would be a generational result and lift WI's PCT into the top half of the table.
• A 1-1 series would still represent a major step forward from the side's recent overseas form.
• A 0-2 home loss would essentially eliminate the West Indies from final contention.

Likely venues for an India tour

If the tour does materialise, the venues most likely to host the Tests, based on Cricket West Indies' recent pattern:

• Kensington Oval, Bridgetown (Barbados) — host of more India-WI Tests than any other Caribbean venue.
• Sabina Park, Kingston (Jamaica) — historically the toughest Caribbean wicket for visiting batters.
• Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain (Trinidad) — flatter surface, often produces high-scoring Tests.
• Providence Stadium, Guyana — has hosted India Tests in 2011 and 2019.

The ODI and T20I legs typically rotate through Antigua (Sir Vivian Richards Stadium), St Lucia (Daren Sammy Stadium) and Florida (Lauderhill, USA — used for cross-format expansion).

The rivalry's recent history

The five most recent India tours of the West Indies (Test series only):

Year	Result	Notable
2023	India won 1-0 (2 Tests)	Yashasvi Jaiswal Test debut century
2019	India won 2-0 (2 Tests)	Jasprit Bumrah's hat-trick at Sabina Park
2016	India won 2-0 (4 Tests)	Ashwin's first Test ton, in Antigua
2011	India won 1-0 (3 Tests)	Last West Indies series win at home over India was 2002
2006	India won 1-0 (4 Tests)	First Indian series win in West Indies in 35 years

India has not lost a Test series in the Caribbean since the early 2000s — but the 2024-25 transition (Kohli, Sharma and Ashwin all retired from Tests) means the side that would tour in 2026 or 2027 looks materially different to the 2023 vintage.

The XI India would most likely pick

Without a confirmed tour or squad, this is the educated guess at the Indian Test XI for a Caribbean tour in 2026 or 2027:

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
2. KL Rahul
3. Shubman Gill (c)
4. Sai Sudharsan
5. Rishabh Pant (wk)
6. Sarfaraz Khan / Ravindra Jadeja
7. Ravindra Jadeja
8. Washington Sundar
9. Akash Deep / Mohammed Siraj
10. Jasprit Bumrah
11. Kuldeep Yadav

Workload management for Bumrah remains the central selection question; the BCCI is reportedly skewing his calendar toward the 2027 ODI World Cup. For the broader Test transition picture, see our India tour of England 2026 Test series preview.

What the West Indies XI would look like

The West Indies Test XI in 2026 has more questions than India's. With Shai Hope captaining the white-ball sides and Kraigg Brathwaite's Test status in transition, the most likely top order:

1. Tagenarine Chanderpaul
2. Mikyle Louis
3. Keacy Carty
4. Alick Athanaze
5. Shai Hope (wk, possibly)
6. Roston Chase (c)
7. Justin Greaves
8. Kemar Roach
9. Alzarri Joseph
10. Jayden Seales
11. Shamar Joseph

Shamar Joseph's emergence as a genuine fast bowler is the West Indies' best Test storyline in fifteen years — his seven-for at the Gabba in January 2024 against Australia announced him as a generational talent.

Streaming and how to watch from India

Whether the tour happens in 2026 or 2027, Indian broadcast rights will be split:

• TV: Disney Star network has historically held BCCI overseas tour rights through 2027.
• Streaming: JioHotstar (post-merger) is the most likely streaming home in India.
• In the Caribbean: ESPN Caribbean is the regional rights-holder for international cricket.

For more live cricket calendar context, see our bilateral cricket May-September 2026 international calendar for the full WTC-cycle bilateral picture.

FAQ

Is India touring the West Indies in 2026?

As of May 2026, the BCCI's published 2026 fixture list does not include a return India tour of the West Indies. The reverse fixture — West Indies touring India for ODIs and T20Is — is scheduled for September-October 2026. We will update this article the moment a tour is added to the FTP.

When did India last tour the West Indies?

India's most recent Test tour of the Caribbean was in July-August 2023, when India won the two-Test series 1-0. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a debut Test century in that series.

Why does the India-WI series matter for the WTC 2025-27 cycle?

Both sides need PCT points from the cycle's remaining bilateral series. India sits sixth on roughly 58% PCT and needs significant series wins to climb into the top two; the West Indies needs home wins to stay competitive in the table.

Where would the Tests likely be played?

The most-used Caribbean Test venues for India tours are Kensington Oval (Barbados), Sabina Park (Jamaica), Queen's Park Oval (Trinidad) and Providence Stadium (Guyana). Cricket West Indies typically rotates the schedule across two or three of these venues per series.

How can Indian fans watch?

Indian broadcast rights for overseas tours are held by Disney Star through 2027, with JioHotstar the likely streaming home. Regional Caribbean coverage is on ESPN Caribbean.

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— Jordan Reid, CricJosh Caribbean and Emerging Markets correspondent. May 2026.