The Indian women’s cricket team enters 2026 with unprecedented momentum after their historic triumph in the 2025 ODI World Cup, with a packed schedule offering multiple opportunities to cement their dominance.
Historic World Cup Victory
The World Cup victory—India’s first-ever senior ICC women’s trophy—has transformed expectations surrounding the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side. The narrative has shifted from contenders to a team capable of winning championships consistently.
In addition, India successfully retained its 2025 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title in Malaysia, and the A team triumphed in a 50-over series in Australia. This remarkable year will forever be remembered as a golden era for women’s cricket in the country.
Upcoming Schedule
Post the five T20Is against Sri Lanka that conclude their 2025 commitments, Indian team members will join their respective franchises for the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) from January 9 to February 5 in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. This will be the first WPL edition following the ODI World Cup victory, drawing attention to emerging talents that the event will unveil for the national team.
Following the WPL, India will embark on a demanding all-format tour to Australia in February and March, before focusing on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England from June 12 to July 5. To prepare for defending their ODI title in the shortest format, India will also play three T20Is against England from May 28 to June 2.
Historic Test Match
Once the tournament concludes, the Indian team will face England in the first-ever women’s Test match at Lord’s Cricket Ground, starting on July 10. This match will break new ground for women’s cricket at the iconic venue, which has hosted men’s World Cup finals and cricket’s most prestigious games for over two centuries.
Asian Games and Tours Ahead
The women’s team will seek to defend their Asian Games T20 gold medal in September and October during the multi-sport event held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan. Subsequently, India will host Zimbabwe for three ODIs and as many T20Is at home in October, followed by an all-format tour of South Africa, which includes a Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is.
Challenges Ahead
Key challenges for the Indian team include maintaining consistency across formats, managing workload for star players, and building depth beyond the core group that delivered ODI World Cup glory.