India T20I schedule till 2026 T20 World Cup: How many matches will Men in Blue play before defending their title at home?

Here is a look at how India’s T20I schedule looks, according to the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, heading into the 2026 T20 World Cup.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya could succeed Rohit Sharma as India’s full-time T20I captain. | Photo Credit: PTI

India will enter a new era in Twenty20 International cricket after it clinched the T20 World Cup 2024 title in Barbados on Saturday. With stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja announcing their retirement from the format, the Men in Blue will look to build a team around young talent and defend its T20 title when the 2026 T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka between February and March, comes calling.

India’s new T20 World Cup cycle begins with a five-match series in Zimbabwe in July, which will be followed by a three-match series in Sri Lanka. Another three T20Is, against the touring Bangladesh side, is the last scheduled assignment for India in the shortest format this year.

According to ICC’s Men’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2023-27, India is scheduled to play a total of 34 T20I matches till the next T20 World Cup in 2026.

Here is the full T20I schedule for Team India for 2024-26:

• Five T20Is vs Zimbabwe (Away) - July 2024
• Three T20Is vs Sri Lanka (Away) - July 2024
• Three T20Is vs Bangladesh (Home) - September 2024
• Five T20Is vs England (Home) - January-February 2025
• Three T20Is vs Bangladesh (Away) - August 2025
• Five T20Is vs Australia (Away) - October 2025
• Five T20Is vs South Africa (Home) - November 2025
• Five T20Is vs New Zealand (Home) - January 2026

* Note: Series scheduled in the FTP are subject to change. Also, cricket boards can mutually agree to and schedule bilateral engagements not mentioned in the FTP.