Clash with Afghanistan
September is expected to kick off with a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. While the final dates and venue are yet to be confirmed, this series offers India a chance to test its T20 combinations. The series was officially confirmed by the Afghanistan Cricket
Board, scheduling the matches for September 13, 15, and 17. However, there have been some conflicting reports regarding a postponed tour to Bangladesh, which could potentially affect this series, but as it stands, the contest against Afghanistan is on the cards.
Asian Games Gold Defence
A major highlight of September is the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, where cricket will be a T20 event. India is expected to field a competitive squad to defend the gold medal. The men's cricket tournament runs from September 24 to October 3. As a seeded team, India will enter the competition directly at the quarterfinal stage. The Shreyas Iyer-captained squad will play their first match on September 28 against the second-placed team from a group containing Afghanistan, Japan, and Nepal.
Home Stand Against West Indies
Closing out September and rolling into October, India will host the West Indies for an extensive white-ball series. The tour, announced by the BCCI, includes three ODIs and five T20Is. The action begins on September 27 with the first ODI in Trivandrum, followed by matches in Guwahati (September 30) and New Chandigarh (October 3). The focus then shifts to the five-match T20I series, starting in Lucknow on October 6 and continuing in Ranchi (October 9), Indore (October 11), Hyderabad (October 14), and concluding in Bengaluru on October 17.
Blockbuster New Zealand Tour Begins
The end of October marks the beginning of one of the biggest tours in recent memory as India travels to New Zealand for a massive all-format series. The tour kicks off on October 22 with the first of five T20Is. The matches scheduled within our two-month window are all T20Is: the first two in Christchurch on October 22 and 24, the third in Wellington on October 27, and the fourth in Auckland on October 30. This series marks India's first Test appearance in the country since 2019, though the red-ball games are scheduled for November. This tour is part of a commemoration of 100 years of sporting ties between the two nations.
