Cricket’s oldest and fiercest rivalries always find a way onto the calendar, and 2026 is no exception, even in a year without a men’s Asia Cup.
India vs Pakistan
The most emotionally charged fixture in world cricket returns at the Women’s Asia Cup, with India facing Pakistan in the group stage on September 5 in Dubai. Full detail on that clash and India’s route through the tournament is in our Asia Cup 2026 India guide. On the men’s side, the two sides last met in the T20I final of the 2025 Asia Cup, where India completed a five-wicket chase to claim their ninth title.
Building Toward Border-Gavaskar
While there’s no India-Australia series on the 2026 calendar itself, the rivalry is never far from view. India will host Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2027, and the current stretch of matches, detailed in our full 2026 India schedule, is effectively preparation for that series.
Regional Rivalries Renewed
- India vs Afghanistan, whose growing rivalry gets another chapter in Delhi from September 13-17
- India vs Sri Lanka, closing out India’s international year in December
- Australia vs South Africa, meeting for a Test and ODI series from late September as part of the current World Test Championship cycle
Why Rivalries Still Drive the Sport
Even in a year reshaped by franchise cricket and multi-format scheduling, matches carrying history and national pride continue to draw the biggest audiences. For the full list of fixtures carrying that kind of weight this year, see our roundup of the most important cricket series coming up this year.