Archive · 1 Jan 2026
India's 2026 Sports Calendar: Major Events
In 2026, India has a packed sports calendar with many exciting events.
The year starts with the Women’s Premier League and the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup.
Cricket fans can look forward to the ICC Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cups.
Chess enthusiasts will have the FIDE Candidates Tournaments and the World Chess Championship.
Badminton, hockey, athletics, and other sports also have major tournaments.
Indian athletes will compete in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.
There are also important events like the BWF World Team Championships and the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
Overall, 2026 promises to be a thrilling year for sports in India.
The Women’s Premier League 2026 is scheduled from January 9 to February 5.
The ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6.
India and Sri Lanka will co-host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 from February 7 to March 8.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5.
The FIDE Candidates Tournaments 2026 will take place in Paphos, Cyprus, from March 28 to April 16.
- Who
- Indian athletes and sports teams
- What
- Major sports events and tournaments
- When
- Throughout 2026
- Where
- Various locations in India and internationally
- Why
- To showcase and compete in various sports disciplines
- Women’s Premier League 2026 (WPL)
- Jan 9 to Feb 5
- ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup
- Jan 15 to Feb 6 | Zimbabwe & Namibia
- ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
- Feb 7 to Mar 8 | India & Sri Lanka
- FIDE Candidates Tournaments 2026
- Mar 28 to Apr 16 | Paphos, Cyprus
- Asian Boxing Championships
- Apr 1 to Apr 11 | Mongolia
- Asian Weightlifting Championships
- Apr 1 to Apr 10 | Ahmedabad, India
- ITTF World Team Championships Finals
- Apr 28 to May 10 | London, UK
- BWF World Team Championships (Thomas & Uber Cup)
- Apr 24 to May 3 | Horsens, Denmark
- Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL)
- Mar 26 to May 31 (tentative)
- Diamond League Meetings
- May onwards | Various venues
- ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
- Jun 12 to Jul 5 | England & Wales
- Commonwealth Games 2026
- Jul 23 to Aug 2 | Glasgow, Scotland
- Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup 2026
- Aug 14 to Aug 30 | Belgium & Netherlands
- World Athletics Continental Tour (Silver Level)
- Aug 22 onwards | Bhubaneswar, India
- World Athletics Ultimate Championship
- Sep 11 to Sep 13 | Budapest, Hungary
- Asian Games 2026
- Sep 19 to Oct 4 | Aichi & Nagoya, Japan
- Diamond League Finals
- Sep 4-5 | Brussels, Belgium
- 46th Chess Olympiad 2026
- Sep (exact dates TBA) | Tashkent
- World Wrestling Championships
- Oct 24 onwards | Bahrain
- World Weightlifting Championships
- Oct 27 to Nov 8 | China
- ISSF World Shooting Championships
- Nov 1 onwards | Doha, Qatar
- World Chess Championship 2026
- Dates & venue TBA
Sources
Daily Briefing: Gig workers strike today; Khaleda Zia to be laid to rest
West Bengal 2025: SIR, identity politics, B’desh unrest and road to Assembly polls next year
From Benglauru stampede to no ISL, 5 controversies that shook Indian sports
Year-ender 2025: Chaotic Messi visit to IND vs PAK no-handshake row - Top controversial moments in Indian sports
AIFF asks clubs to confirm participation in delayed ISL
Pahalgam attack, IndiGo chaos, Maha Kumbh: India’s biggest headlines of 2025
India's 2026 Sports Calendar: Every event you need to know for the next 12 months
7 things to watch out for this year
Shah meets BJP state leaders, targets 20 of Kolkata’s 28 seats
Dilip Ghosh's political exile ends with Shah session as BJP plans Bengal Assembly push - Telegraph India
2026: Key political flashpoints, battles to watch out for in year of reckoning
