Cricket Schedule September 2026: India's Next Match, Full Fixtures, Timings and Where to Watch

India's next confirmed international fixture is the 1st T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. The match is scheduled for an evening start in the 7:00–7:30 PM IST window (sources vary slightly on the exact minute; treat it as a night match and confirm the toss time closer to the day). It is the opening game of a three-match T20I series, with the 2nd T20I on September 15 and the 3rd on September 17, all at the same Delhi venue. Afghanistan is the designated "home" side for this series even though every match is being played on Indian soil. Sony Sports Network holds the TV rights in India, and FanCode is the official digital streaming partner.

India's previously proposed white-ball tour of Bangladesh (originally pencilled in for September 1–13) has effectively been squeezed off the calendar once the Afghanistan series was locked into the same window — treat that Bangladesh series as postponed unless BCCI or BCB issue a fresh confirmation.

India Cricket Schedule: September 2026

Note: The India A vs Australia A series and the West Indies ODIs that fall in early October are listed where they overlap with or immediately follow the September window, since fans searching "India schedule September 2026" are also looking a few days ahead. Only the fixtures above are officially confirmed at the time of writing; dates without a confirmed start time are marked accordingly.

Upcoming Cricket Matches This Week (Week of September 1–7)

This particular week is unusually quiet for India-specific action because the men's team has just finished its Sri Lanka tour and the Afghanistan series doesn't start until September 13. What Indian fans can actually watch this week:

• Duleep Trophy 2026 knockouts and final (through September 10): India's premier zonal first-class tournament reaches its business end, with the final running September 6–10. It's a shop window for red-ball form ahead of the domestic season and, eventually, national selection.
• Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2026 group games and playoffs: The tournament runs through September 20, with matches most nights — a useful watch for T20 fans tracking overseas franchise form.
• Pakistan vs England, 3rd Test (through September 13): Part of the 2025–2027 World Test Championship cycle; relevant to Indian fans tracking the WTC points table.

Major Cricket Fixtures to Watch in September 2026

Not every match in September deserves top billing. Based on India involvement, tournament stakes, and likely search/viewership interest, these are the fixtures that matter most:

1. India vs Afghanistan, 3-match T20I series (Sep 13, 15, 17 — Delhi): India's only bilateral series fully inside September, and a live audition for the T20I squad's Asian Games combinations.
2. Asian Games 2026 Women's Cricket (Sep 17–22 — Japan): India are defending gold medallists; the format is straight knockout from the quarter-finals, so there's no margin for a bad day.
3. Asian Games 2026 Men's Cricket (Sep 24 – Oct 3 — Japan): India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh get direct quarter-final byes as the top-seeded teams; India's men open their campaign on September 28.
4. India vs West Indies, ODI series opener (Sep 27 — Thiruvananthapuram): The first match of India's entire 2026–27 home international season, kicking off a five-month calendar that runs into March 2027.
5. CPL 2026 Final (Sep 20 — Kensington Oval, Barbados): The Caribbean league's showpiece, first time the final is being hosted at Kensington Oval.
6. 2026 Asian Games Qualifier context — Duleep Trophy Final (Sep 6–10): Domestic, but a genuine form guide ahead of India's home season.

India Men's Matches

India men play only one bilateral assignment that sits entirely within September: the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi (Sep 13, 15, 17). The squad then transitions almost immediately into Asian Games preparation, with the men's T20 event beginning September 24 in Japan and India's own campaign opener on September 28. The home season proper begins right at the end of the month, with the first ODI against West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27.

Context: India's T20I side has had a mixed recent run — a series loss to Ireland followed by a heavier defeat to England, before India steadied things with a 3-0 sweep of Zimbabwe. The Afghanistan series and the Asian Games therefore carry some weight as a chance to re-establish consistency in combinations before the busier home season.

India Women's Matches

India women's most significant September assignment is the Asian Games, where the women's cricket competition runs September 17–22 in a direct knockout format from the quarter-final stage. India, as defending champions, open their campaign against Japan on September 18. The team will be aiming to bounce back after a group-stage exit at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup earlier in 2026. A separately reported bilateral series against Zimbabwe (three T20Is and three ODIs) is scheduled, but per the latest available fixture list this tour falls in October, not September — worth noting so it isn't confused with September-dated searches.

International Matches (Non-India) Worth Tracking

• Pakistan vs England, Test series (Aug 19 – Sep 13, England): Three-Test series forming part of the 2025–2027 World Test Championship.
• Sri Lanka tour of England (Sep 15–27): Three ODIs and three T20Is.
• Australia tour of Zimbabwe (Sep 15–20, Harare): Three ODIs.
• South Africa Women vs Zimbabwe/Australia fixtures: South Africa Women tour Zimbabwe for T20Is (Sep 11–19), while a separate South Africa–Australia women's ODI assignment is on the calendar from late September.
• 2026 Asian Games cricket (both men's and women's events): The biggest multi-team storyline of the month, featuring Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman alongside India.

Major T20 / Domestic Matches

• Duleep Trophy 2026 (concludes Sep 10): India's zonal first-class tournament; final phase runs September 6–10.
• Caribbean Premier League 2026 (through Sep 20): Group games and playoffs, final on September 20 at Kensington Oval, Barbados.
• India A vs Australia A (Sep 22 – Oct 11): Two first-class and three List A matches, a genuine bench-strength contest ahead of the home international season.

Match Dates, Timings and Venues (At a Glance)

Where to Watch Live

Streaming details for any fixture not listed above have not yet been officially confirmed — don't rely on guesses about which app or channel will carry a match until the broadcaster or board makes an announcement.

Why These Matches Matter

India vs Afghanistan (Delhi): This is India's only home bilateral series before the busy 2026–27 season kicks off, and it directly precedes the Asian Games. Expect the T20I team management to use it to finalise combinations rather than treat it as a low-stakes assignment — Afghanistan's spin-heavy attack, built around Rashid Khan, also gives India's batters useful match practice against high-quality wrist and finger spin.

Asian Games 2026 (Japan): Both India teams are defending gold medallists from Hangzhou 2023. For the women's team, arriving off a T20 World Cup group-stage exit adds a redemption angle. For the men, direct entry into the quarter-finals (alongside Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, as the four top-seeded nations) means their campaign is compressed into a handful of knockout matches with almost no room for an off day.

India vs West Indies (home season opener): This fixture effectively starts India's entire 2026–27 international calendar at home — a five-month stretch of white-ball and Test cricket running from September 2026 to March 2027, culminating in a five-Test series against Australia early in 2027.

(The above is editorial analysis based on publicly reported context, clearly separated from the confirmed facts in the tables above.)

Players and Storylines to Watch

• Shreyas Iyer leads India's T20I side into both the Afghanistan series and the Asian Games campaign, following a difficult recent T20I stretch for the team (series losses to Ireland and England, before a bounce-back win over Zimbabwe).
• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named in India's Asian Games squad — his inclusion has been a talking point given his age and the profile of the tournament.
• Harmanpreet Kaur captains India Women into the Asian Games looking to defend the title after a group-stage exit at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
• Rashid Khan and Afghanistan's spin unit will be the headline threat for India's batters to negotiate across the three Delhi T20Is.

This section reflects publicly available squad and captaincy information; it is not a prediction of results or form.

What Could Change in the Schedule?

Cricket calendars this close to major events (the Asian Games start days after the Afghanistan series ends) are more fragile than usual. Specific risk points for September 2026:

• The India–Bangladesh white-ball tour that was originally proposed for September 1–13 is, per multiple reports from mid-August 2026, effectively off the calendar because it clashed with the now-confirmed Afghanistan series window. Treat any "India vs Bangladesh, September 2026" schedule you see elsewhere as outdated unless BCCI/BCB issue a fresh statement.
• Broadcast details for series beyond those listed above (Asian Games timings, some India A fixtures) had not been fully finalised as of this writing.
• Weather and travel logistics around the Asian Games (a first-time cricket host in Japan) could affect exact match timings, which is why several rows above are marked "time not officially confirmed."

Always cross-check with BCCI (bcci.tv), ICC (icc-cricket.com) or the relevant national board before making viewing plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is India's next cricket match? India's next confirmed international fixture is the 1st T20I against Afghanistan on September 13, 2026, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

2. When is India's next cricket match? September 13, 2026, with an evening start (approximately 7:00–7:30 PM IST).

3. Who is India playing in September 2026? India plays Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series (Sep 13, 15, 17), then begins the Asian Games campaign (women from Sep 17, men from Sep 24), and closes the month by hosting West Indies in an ODI series starting Sep 27.

4. What is India's September 2026 cricket schedule? Three T20Is vs Afghanistan in Delhi, the Asian Games cricket competition in Japan, and the opening two ODIs of the home series against West Indies (Sep 27 and Sep 30).

5. What time is India's next match? The Afghanistan T20I on September 13 is an evening/night match, broadly in the 7:00–7:30 PM IST window; exact toss time should be confirmed closer to the day via the official broadcaster.

6. Where is India's next match being played? Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi.

7. Where can I watch India's next cricket match? TV: Sony Sports Network. Digital: FanCode (also available via Jio TV/Jio TV+, Amazon Prime, Tata Play Binge and other partner platforms).

8. Which cricket matches are happening this week (Sep 1–7)? Mainly the Duleep Trophy knockouts/final (through Sep 10), CPL 2026 group games, and the closing stages of the Pakistan vs England Test series. India's next international match doesn't start until Sep 13.

9. What are the major cricket matches in September 2026? India vs Afghanistan (T20Is), the Asian Games cricket competition, the CPL 2026 final, and the start of India's ODI series against West Indies.

10. Is India playing Bangladesh in September 2026? As of late August 2026, the previously proposed India tour of Bangladesh appears to have been superseded by the confirmed Afghanistan series in the same window. There is no fresh official confirmation of the Bangladesh series proceeding as originally planned.

11. What is the India vs Afghanistan 2026 schedule? Three T20Is — September 13, 15 and 17 — all at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.

12. Why is Afghanistan hosting India in Delhi? Afghanistan is the designated home side for this series under its Future Tours Programme commitments, but because Afghanistan regularly stages "home" fixtures on Indian and UAE venues, the matches are being played entirely in Delhi.

13. Who is the TV broadcaster for India vs Afghanistan T20Is? Sony Sports Network.

14. Who has the streaming rights for India vs Afghanistan T20Is? FanCode, distributed further through Jio TV/Jio TV+, Amazon Prime, Tata Play Binge, Crex, Times Prime, Watcho, Playbox and Jagran.

15. When does India's home season 2026–27 start? September 27, 2026, with the first ODI against West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram.