The 2026-27 International cricket season will take place from September 2026 to March 2027.[1][2] This calendar will include men’s Test, men’s One Day International (ODI), men’s Twenty20 International (T20I), women’s Test, women’s One Day International (ODI) and women’s Twenty20 International (T20I) matches, as well as some other significant series.
[3] In addition to the matches shown here, a number of other T20I series involving associate nations are being played during this period. The cricket at the 2026 Asian Games for both Men’s and Women’s, is scheduled to take place in Japan in September and October 2026.[4][5]
Australia is scheduled to host a one-off day-night Test against England in March 2027 to celebrate 150 years of Test cricket.[6][7][8]
Season overview
Men’s events
Afghanistan
India
Zimbabwe
Australia
South Africa
West Indies
New Zealand
Bangladesh
IrelandWomen’s events
September
India against Afghanistan in India
Main article: Indian cricket team against Afghanistan in India in 2026–27
| T20I series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| [1st T20I] | 13 September | Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, New Delhi | |
| [2nd T20I] | 15 September | Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, New Delhi | |
| [3rd T20I] | 26 September | Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, New Delhi | |
Australia in Zimbabwe
Main article: Australian cricket team in Zimbabwe in 2026–27
| ODI series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 15 September | Harare Sports Club, Harare | |
| 2nd ODI | 18 September | Harare Sports Club, Harare | |
| 3rd ODI | 20 September | Harare Sports Club, Harare | |
Asian Games
Main article: Cricket at the 2026 Asian Games
Women’s tournament
Main article: Cricket at the 2026 Asian Games – Women’s tournament
Men’s tournament
Main article: Cricket at the 2026 Asian Games – Men’s tournament
Australia in South Africa
Main article: Australian cricket team in South Africa in 2026–27
| ODI series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 24 September | Kingsmead, Durban | |
| 2nd ODI | 27 September | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | |
| 3rd ODI | 30 September | JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom | |
| 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship – Test series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st Test | 9–13 October | Kingsmead, Durban | |
| 2nd Test | 18–22 October | St George’s Park, Gqeberha | |
| 3rd Test | 27–31 October | Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town | |
West Indies in India
Main article: West Indian cricket team in India in 2026–27
| ODI series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 27 September | Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram | |
| 2nd ODI | 30 September | Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati | |
| 3rd ODI | 3 October | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh | |
| T20I Series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st T20I | 6 October | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | |
| 2nd T20I | 9 October | JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | |
| 3rd T20I | 11 October | Holkar Stadium, Indore | |
| 4th T20I | 14 October | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad | |
| 5th T20I | 17 October | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | |
October
Bangladesh women in Australia
Main article: Bangladesh women’s cricket team in Australia in 2026–27
| 2025–2029 ICC Women’s Championship — WODI series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WODI | 9 October | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | |
| 2nd WODI | 11 October | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | |
| 3rd WODI | 14 October | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | |
Zimbabwe women in India
Main article: Zimbabwe women’s cricket team in India in 2026–27
| WT20I series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WT20I | 16 October | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | |
| 2nd WT20I | 18 October | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | |
| 3rd WT20I | 20 October | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | |
| 2025–2029 ICC Women’s Championship — WODI series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WODI | 23 October | Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara | |
| 2nd WODI | 25 October | Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara | |
| 3rd WODI | 28 October | Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara | |
New Zealand women in Australia
Main article: New Zealand women’s cricket team in Australia in 2026–27
| WT20I series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WT20I | 18 October | North Sydney Oval, Sydney | |
| 2nd WT20I | 20 October | North Sydney Oval, Sydney | |
| 3rd WT20I | 22 October | North Sydney Oval, Sydney | |
| 2025–2029 ICC Women’s Championship — WODI series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WODI | 6 March | Manuka Oval, Canberra | |
| 2nd WODI | 8 March | CitiPower Centre, Melbourne | |
| 3rd WODI | 10 March | CitiPower Centre, Melbourne | |
India in New Zealand
Main article: Indian cricket team in New Zealand in 2026–27
| T20I series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st T20I | 22 October | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | |
| 2nd T20I | 24 October | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | |
| 3rd T20I | 27 October | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | |
| 4th T20I | 30 October | Eden Park, Auckland | |
| 5th T20I | 1 November | Seddon Park, Hamilton | |
| ODI series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 4 November | Eden Park, Auckland | |
| 2nd ODI | 7 November | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | |
| 3rd ODI | 10 November | Seddon Park, Hamilton | |
| 4th ODI | 13 November | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | |
| 5th ODI | 15 November | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | |
| 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship – Test series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st Test | 19–23 November | Basin Reserve, Wellington | |
| 2nd Test | 27 November–1 December | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | |
2026 Pakistan Tri-Nation Series
Main article: 2026 Pakistan Tri-Nation Series
| ODI tri-series | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Team 2 | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | October |  Pakistan |  Sri Lanka | ||
| 2nd ODI | October | Sri Lanka |  England | ||
| 3rd ODI | October | Pakistan | England | ||
| Final | |||||
| Final | November | TBA | TBA | ||
West Indies in Bangladesh
Main article: West Indian cricket team in Bangladesh in 2026–27
| 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship – Test series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st Test | 28 October–1 November | ||
| 2nd Test | 5–9 November | ||
November
England in Australia
Main article: English cricket team in Australia in 2026–27
| ODI series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 13 November | Perth Stadium, Perth | |
| 2nd ODI | 15 November | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | |
| 3rd ODI | 18 November | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | |
| T20I series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st T20I | 21 November | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | |
| 2nd T20I | 24 November | Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast | |
| 3rd T20I | 27 November | The Gabba, Brisbane | |
| 4th T20I | 29 November | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | |
| 5th T20I | 2 December | Manuka Oval, Canberra | |
| Only Test | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| Only Test | 11–15 March | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | |
Bangladesh in South Africa
Main article: Bangladeshi cricket team in South Africa in 2026–27
| 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship – Test series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st Test | 15–19 November | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | |
| 2nd Test | 23–27 November | Centurion Park, Centurion | |
| ODI series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 1 December | Buffalo Park, East London | |
| 2nd ODI | 4 December | St George’s Park, Gqeberha | |
| 3rd ODI | 7 December | Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town | |
| T20I series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st T20I | 10 December | De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley | |
| 2nd T20I | 12 December | Willowmoore Park, Benoni | |
| 3rd T20I | 13 December | Centurion Park, Centurion | |
December
India women in South Africa
Main article: India women’s cricket team in South Africa in 2026–27
| 2025–2029 ICC Women’s Championship — WODI series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WODI | 9 December | JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom | |
| 2nd WODI | 12 December | Maunguang Oval, Bloemfontein | |
| 3rd WODI | 15 December | Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town | |
| WTest match | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| Only WTest | 20–23 December | Willowmoore Park, Benoni | |
New Zealand in Australia
Main article: New Zealand cricket team in Australia in 2026–27
| 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship – Test series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st Test | 9–13 December | Perth Stadium, Perth | |
| 2nd Test | 17–21 December | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | |
| 3rd Test | 26–30 December | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | |
| 4th Test | 4–8 January | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | |
Bangladesh women in New Zealand
Main article: Bangladesh women’s cricket team in New Zealand in 2026–27
| WT20I series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WT20I | 10 December | Saxton Oval, Nelson | |
| 2nd WT20I | 12 December | Saxton Oval, Nelson | |
| 3rd WT20I | 15 December | Basin Reserve, Wellington | |
| WODI series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WODI | 18 December | Basin Reserve, Wellington | |
| 2nd WODI | 21 December | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | |
| 3rd WODI | 23 December | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | |
Sri Lanka in India
Main article: Sri Lankan cricket team in India in 2026–27
| ODI series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 13 December | Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, New Delhi | |
| 2nd ODI | 16 December | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | |
| 3rd ODI | 19 December | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | |
| T20I Series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st T20I | 22 December | Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot | |
| 2nd T20I | 24 December | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | |
| 3rd T20I | 27 December | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune | |
England in South Africa
Main article: English cricket team in South Africa in 2026–27
| 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship – Test series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st Test | 17–21 December | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | |
| 2nd Test | 26–30 December | Centurion Park, Centurion | |
| 3rd Test | 3–7 January | Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town | |
| ODI series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 10 January | Boland Park, Paarl | |
| 2nd ODI | 13 January | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein | |
| 3rd ODI | 15 January | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein | |
January
Zimbabwe in India
Main article: Zimbabwean cricket team in India in 2026–27
| ODI series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 3 January | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | |
| 2nd ODI | 6 January | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad | |
| 3rd ODI | 9 January | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | |
Sri Lanka in New Zealand
| ODI series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st ODI | 16 January | McLean Park, Napier | |
| 2nd ODI | 19 January | Basin Reserve, Wellington | |
| 3rd ODI | 22 January | University of Otago Oval, Dunedin | |
| T20I series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st T20I | 26 January | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | |
| 2nd T20I | 29 January | Saxton Oval, Nelson | |
| 3rd T20I | 31 January | Saxton Oval, Nelson | |
| 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship – Test series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st Test | 4–8 February | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | |
| 2nd Test | 12–16 February | Seddon Park, Hamilton | |
Australia in India
Main article: Australian cricket team in India in 2026–27
| 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship – Test series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st Test | 21–25 January | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur | |
| 2nd Test | 29 January–2 February | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | |
| 3rd Test | 11–15 February | Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati | |
| 4th Test | 19–23 February | JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | |
| 5th Test | 27 February–3 March | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | |
Australia women in South Africa
Main article: Australia women’s cricket team in South Africa in 2026–27
| WT20I series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WT20I | 18 March | De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley | |
| 2nd WT20I | 21 March | Willowmoore Park, Benoni | |
| 3rd WT20I | 23 March | Buffalo Park, East London | |
| 2025–2029 ICC Women’s Championship — WODI series | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st WODI | 27 March | St George’s Park, Gqeberha | |
| 2nd WODI | 31 March | Boland Park, Paarl | |
| 3rd WODI | 3 April | Kingsmead, Durban | |
| WTest match | |||
| No. | Date | Venue | Result |
| Only WTest | 8–11 April | JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom | |
(FAQs)
1. What are the three official formats of international cricket?
International cricket is divided into three formats, each catering to different levels of endurance, strategy, and speed:
- Test Cricket: The traditional, pinnacle format. Matches last up to 5 days, with each team playing two innings. It tests a player’s mental resilience and technique under shifting pitch and weather conditions.
- One-Day Internationals (ODIs): A single-day format where each team bats for a maximum of 50 overs (300 legal balls). It requires a balanced tactical blend of steady building and aggressive scoring.
- Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is): The shortest, fastest, and most commercially explosive format. Each team gets 20 overs (120 legal balls) to maximize their runs. Matches wrap up in about 3 hours, heavily emphasizing boundaries, rapid bowling variations, and athletic fielding.
2. How many countries play international cricket?
The ICC currently has 108 member nations. However, they are split into two categories:
- Full Members (12 nations): These countries (such as India, Australia, Pakistan, England, and South Africa) have full voting rights and are automatically granted status to play official Test matches.
- Associate Members (96 nations): Developing cricket nations (like the USA, Nepal, and Scotland). While they don’t play Test cricket yet, all permanent members hold official T20I status, allowing for a genuinely global footprint.
3. What are the major global cricket tournaments?
The ICC organizes pinnacle world championships for each format:
- ICC Men’s / Women’s Cricket World Cup: The premier tournament for the 50-over ODI format, held every four years.
- ICC T20 World Cup: Held every two years, featuring a massive grid of global teams in the fast-paced 20-over format.
- ICC World Test Championship (WTC): A continuous 2-year league cycle where top Test nations play bilateral series, culminating in a one-off final to crown the ultimate Test champion.
- The Olympic Games: Cricket is making a historic return to the Olympic stage at LA28 (Los Angeles 2028), using the T20 format for both men’s and women’s competitions.
4. What happens if an ODI or T20I match ends in a tie?
If both teams finish with the exact same number of runs at the end of their overs, the game goes into a Super Over. Each team fields and bats for one single over (6 balls). Whichever team scores the most runs in that solitary over wins the match. If the Super Over is also tied, subsequent Super Overs are played until a winner emerges.
Conclusion
International cricket is a dynamic, evolving sport that uniquely bridges deep-seated tradition with cutting-edge entertainment.
While Test cricket remains the ultimate metric of a player’s skill and character, T20Is and domestic franchise leagues have successfully decentralized the sport, driving massive commercial revenue and introducing cricket to non-traditional markets like North America.
Managed by the ICC, the sport’s structured ecosystem ensures that whether a fan craves a five-day tactical chess match or a three-hour fireworks display, international cricket delivers a format for every audience.
With its upcoming inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games, cricket is firmly on a path to expanding its reach far beyond its traditional boundaries.
