With Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) securing their second consecutive title with win over Gujarat Titans in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 came to a close after two months of high-octane action. However, Indian men’s cricket team has zero time to rest.
After the IPL wrapped up, Indian cricket’s next chapter begins almost immediately, with international fixtures starting in New Chandigarh on June 6.
Notably, India’s post-IPL 2026 calendar is incredibly dense, featuring a massive focus on white-ball cricket as the team builds its foundations for the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, alongside critical transitional red-ball assignments under head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Immediate Series: Afghanistan Tour of India (June 6 – June 20)
International cricket resumes on Indian soil with a historic one-off Test match in New Chandigarh, outside of the World Test Championship cycle. Shubman Gill will lead a transitional red-ball squad featuring young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, alongside returning stars.
Following the Test, a three-match ODI series will move across the country, giving the main white-ball squad their first run since the IPL.
Afghanistan Tour of India (June 6-20, 2026)
June 6-10: Only Test – New PCA Stadium, Mullanpur (New Chandigarh)
June 13: 1st ODI – HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
June 17: 2nd ODI – Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
June 20: 3rd ODI – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
The European Summer: Ireland & England (June 26 – July 19)
After wrapping up the Afghanistan series, the Men in Blue fly out to Europe. They will start with a lightning-fast stop in Belfast before heading into a highly anticipated, high-octane white-ball package against England.
India tour of Ireland
June 26: 1st T20I – Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast
June 28: 2nd T20I – Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast
India tour of England
July 1: 1st T20I – Chester-le-Street
July 4: 2nd T20I – Manchester
July 7: 3rd T20I – Nottingham
July 9: 4th T20I – Bristol
July 11: 5th T20I – Southampton
July 14: 1st ODI – Birmingham
July 16: 2nd ODI – Cardiff
July 19: 3rd ODI – Lord’s, London
Late Summer & Pre-Autumn Transitions (July- September)
Following the rigorous UK tour, a quick developmental three-match T20I series is slated against Zimbabwe from July 23 to July 26 in Harare, ensuring the bench strength gets ample game time.
August takes India to Sri Lanka for a vital two-Test series under the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, followed by a separate window in September where the team is scheduled for an away white-ball clash against Bangladesh (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is) alongside 3 additional standalone T20Is against Afghanistan.
The Selection Conundrum: West Indies & Asian Games (September – October)
The late-monsoon window introduces a fascinating logistical challenge for the BCCI selectors. The 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will feature cricket in the T20 format from September 19 to October 4. However, this collides with a massive home bilateral series against the West Indies, scheduled from September 27 to October 17 (3 ODIs, 5 T20Is).
Reports suggest that India’s selectors are already preparing separate squads to manage both assignments simultaneously – with T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav expected to lead the frontline home squad against the Windies while a distinct, youth-centric contingent hunts for Gold in Japan.
Wrapping Up 2026: New Zealand & Sri Lanka
To finish the calendar year, India will embark on a grueling multi-format tour of New Zealand through late October and November, consisting of 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 5 T20Is.
Finally, the home crowd will welcome the team back in December as Sri Lanka arrives for a festive white-ball series running from December 13 to December 27, concluding with 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is across venues like Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Rajkot.
The Big Picture
With fewer Test matches left on the horizon for 2026, Head Coach Gautam Gambhir and the selectors are visibly shifting gears toward heavy ODI and T20I rotations, optimizing squads for a multi-year transition process while keeping the fans entertained with non-stop cricket action.
