Cricket News, Bengaluru Set, Cricket Updates
International cricket is set to return to Bengaluru as part of a packed 2026–27 home season for India national cricket team, featuring multiple bilateral series and a high-profile Test showdown against Australia national cricket team.
The season will include four visiting teams—West Indies cricket team, Sri Lanka national cricket team, Zimbabwe national cricket team, and Australia—across formats ranging from ODIs and T20Is to the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Bengaluru Returns After Tragic Hiatus
The upcoming season will mark the return of international matches to Bengaluru for the first time since the tragic stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in June last year, which claimed 11 lives. The venue is scheduled to host the fifth T20I against West Indies on October 17 and the second ODI against Sri Lanka on December 16.
Multi-Series Home Season
India’s season begins with a white-ball series against West Indies from September 27 to October 17, comprising three ODIs and five T20Is. This will be followed by Sri Lanka’s tour in December featuring three ODIs and three T20Is.
Zimbabwe will then tour India in January for a three-match ODI series—their first bilateral visit since 2002—before Australia arrives for a five-Test series that runs from January 21 to March 7.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy Across Five Venues
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be played across five venues—Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi, and Ahmedabad—highlighting a geographically diverse schedule. Guwahati, which hosted its first-ever Test in 2025, will stage a Test for the second consecutive season.
Key Venues Hosting Multiple Matches
Several cities will host more than one international fixture during the season. Alongside Bengaluru, Guwahati, Ranchi, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad are set to feature twice across formats, underlining their growing importance as cricketing hubs.
Delhi Fixture Raises Air Quality Concerns
One notable fixture includes the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Delhi on December 13. The scheduling has raised concerns due to the city’s history of severe winter air pollution. A previous India-Sri Lanka Test in 2017 was affected by players reporting breathing difficulties. In recent years, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has adjusted schedules to mitigate such risks.
Major Cities in Action
Other key venues include Kolkata and Mumbai, both of which will host ODIs against Zimbabwe in early January.
With a full calendar spanning six months and all formats, India’s 2026–27 home season promises to be one of its busiest and most significant in recent years, culminating in the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
