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The year 2025 saw plenty of exciting action in international cricket. India had a memorable year when it came to white-ball cricket. The men's team won the ICC Champions Trophy in the UAE. The women's team created history by winning their maiden ODI World Cup, while the Indian blind women's team won the inaugural Women's T20 World Cup for the blind.
South Africa excelled in Test cricket in 2025. They beat Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's and proved themselves worthy of the crown by registering a 2-0 triumph in India. While Aussies failed to defend their WTC crown, they proved too good for England in the Ashes and retained the urn by winning the first three Tests.
A number of major events in international cricket are lined up for 2026 as well. In this feature, we look at five major international cricketing events to look forward to in the new year.
#1 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
The Men in Blue will look to defend their crown in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. A total of 20 teams will be featuring in the T20 World Cup and had been divided into four groups and five teams each. Team India are in Group A, with Pakistan, Namibia, United States and Netherlands.
Following the conclusion of the group stage, the top two sides from each group will progress to the Super Eight round, which will be followed by the semifinals and the final. India will be led by Suryakumar Yadav in the 2026 T20 World Cup, while all-rounder Axar Patel has been named as his deputy.
#2 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup
Apart from the men's event, the ICC Women's T20 World Cup will also be held this year. The tournament will take place in England from June 12 to July 5. New Zealand are the defending champions in the ICC event. They won their maiden title in the 2024 edition by defeating South Africa in the final in Dubai. India, who finished runners-up in 2020, will be looking to clinch their maiden title.
#3 2026 Asian Games
Cricket will feature in the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4. In July last year, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed that cricket will be a part of the 2026 Asian Games. An ACC press release stated that the Asian Games would see the participation of 10 men’s and eight women’s teams from across the continent, to be chosen based on their rankings.
The 2026 event will mark cricket’s fourth appearance at the Asian Games, with the first instance taking place in Guangzhou in 2010. India are the defending champions in both the men’s and women’s events in the Asian Games, having claimed the respective titles in Hangzhou during the 2023 edition.
#4 India tour of New Zealand
India will tour New Zealand for two Tests as part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. This tour is likely to be a big challenge for India as they have a poor record in the country in red-ball cricket. India have played 25 Tests in New Zealand, winning five and losing 10, while 10 have ended in a draw.
Apart from two Test matches, the visitors are also likely to play three ODIs against the Kiwis. While the exact schedule is yet to be confirmed, India's tour of New Zealand 2026 will take place in October-November.
#5 Australia tour of South Africa
Australia vs South Africa contests have produced some engrossing cricket over the years across formats. The Aussies will visit South Africa for three Tests (as part of WTC 2025-27) and three ODIs in September-October. Expect this to be another closely contested tussle between Australia and the Proteas. The exact schedule for the tour is yet to be confirmed.
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Edited by Renin Wilben Albert
English (US)