India to host West Indies and South Africa next season

India is set to host West Indies and South Africa between October and December for the 2025-26 home cricket season. On Wednesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a packed schedule featuring matches across all formats, including Test cricket, ODIs, and T20Is. These fixtures will play a big role in India’s World Test Championship campaign and preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2026.

The season opens with a two-match Test series against West Indies. The first Test will take place at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium from October 2 to October 6, followed by the second Test at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens from October 10 to October 14. This marks West Indies’ return to India after nearly seven years, with their last visit being in 2018-19. India aims to extend its reign over the Caribbean side, having secured convincing victories during their last encounters.

Following the West Indies series, South Africa will arrive for an all-format tour starting in mid-November. The Proteas will play two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is. The Test series begins on November 14 at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, followed by the second Test at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium from November 22 to November 26. Guwahati’s maiden Test hosting is a historic moment for Assam cricket, as the venue has previously been limited to white-ball matches.

The ODI leg of the South Africa series starts on November 30 in Ranchi, continues on December 3 in Raipur, and concludes on December 6 in Visakhapatnam. These matches will be India’s first home ODIs since their Champions Trophy victory earlier in the year. The T20I series begins on December 9 in Cuttack and moves through venues like New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, and Lucknow before culminating with the final match in Ahmedabad on December 19.

This season also marks seven years since India last hosted South Africa for Tests on home soil. In their previous encounter during the 2019 series, India took victory with a clean sweep across three matches.

With both West Indies and South Africa aiming to challenge India’s stronghold at home, the season will, no doubt, provide an avenue for India to not only play a wonderful game, but also provide a fulfilling experience for both fans and visitors.