West Indies Tour of India 2026: ODI and T20I Schedule, Squad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Return

West Indies arrive in India for a long white ball assignment running from September 27 to October 17, 2026, made up of three ODIs followed by five T20Is. This tour kicks off India’s blockbuster 2026-27 home season, which will also see Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Australia visit across formats over the following months. The series arrives at an interesting moment for Team India, with the ODI side building toward the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, and selectors reportedly weighing a recall for veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

What is the full ODI schedule?

What is the full T20I schedule?

The T20I leg overlaps with the tail end of India’s Asian Games campaign, so squad rotation across both assignments is likely.

Where will each match be played and what should fans expect from the pitch?

Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram

• Match: 1st ODI, September 27, 2:00 pm local
• Pitch and conditions: coastal humidity keeps the ball moving around early, so expect some assistance for the new ball before the surface settles down for batting through the middle overs.

Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati

• Match: 2nd ODI, September 30, 2:00 pm local
• Pitch and conditions: one of the better batting tracks on the ODI circuit once the shine wears off, with true bounce that rewards batters who commit early.

New Chandigarh

• Match: 3rd ODI, October 3, 2:00 pm local
• Pitch and conditions: a newer venue on India’s international rotation, so historical data is limited, but early reports point to a surface that holds up well for stroke play in the second half of an innings.

Ekana Stadium, Lucknow

• Match: 1st T20I, October 6, 7:00 pm local
• Pitch and conditions: tends to slow up under lights, which can make defending a total slightly easier than chasing.

JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi

• Match: 2nd T20I, October 9, 7:00 pm local
• Pitch and conditions: generally a high scoring venue with a short square boundary that favours power hitters.

Holkar Stadium, Indore

• Match: 3rd T20I, October 11, 7:00 pm local
• Pitch and conditions: flat and true, historically one of the best batting surfaces on the T20I calendar.

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

• Match: 4th T20I, October 14, 7:00 pm local
• Pitch and conditions: balanced surface that offers a little turn later in the innings, keeping spinners in the game.

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

• Match: 5th T20I, October 17, 7:00 pm local
• Pitch and conditions: known as one of the most batter friendly grounds in the country, with a small boundary and thin air that helps the ball carry.

How can fans in India watch this series?

This is a home series for India, so coverage will follow the standard setup:

• JioHotstar will carry the live stream of every match, as it does for all of India’s home international cricket.
• Star Sports Network will handle the television broadcast across its channels, with commentary available in multiple languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.
• FanCode has also carried India home matches as a secondary streaming option in past series, so it is worth keeping as a backup.

Will Bhuvneshwar Kumar make a comeback against West Indies?

This is the biggest talking point heading into the series. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not played an ODI for India since January 2022, but his name has resurfaced strongly in selection conversations ahead of this West Indies series. The 36 year old has been in excellent form in domestic T20 cricket, picking up 28 wickets in IPL 2026 while leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowling attack to back to back title wins, and he captained Lucknow Falcons in the UP T20 League through August. When asked directly about a possible recall, Bhuvneshwar said he would be ready to play if the selectors came calling, and former India coach Ravi Shastri along with Ravichandran Ashwin have both spoken publicly about how valuable his new ball swing could be in South African conditions at the 2027 World Cup. Mohammed Shami’s name has also come up in the same conversation. Nothing is confirmed yet, since the official squad had not been named at the time of writing, but this series looks like the most realistic opportunity for either senior pacer to force their way back into the fold.

What do the India and West Indies squads look like?

India’s official squad for this series had not been announced at the time of writing. For reference, here is India’s most recent ODI squad, picked for the England series in July 2026, which gives a strong sense of the core group selectors are working with:

• Shubman Gill (captain)
• Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain)
• Rohit Sharma
• Virat Kohli
• KL Rahul (wicketkeeper)
• Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper)
• Washington Sundar
• Axar Patel
• Shivam Dube
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Prasidh Krishna
• Harshit Rana
• Arshdeep Singh
• Gurnoor Brar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami are the two names being discussed as possible additions to this core for the West Indies series, as covered above.

West Indies have not confirmed their squad either, but their most recent ODI squad, named for a home series against Sri Lanka in June 2026, offers a clear picture of their first choice unit:

• Shai Hope (captain)
• Ackeem Auguste
• John Campbell
• Keacy Carty
• Roston Chase
• Matthew Forde
• Justin Greaves
• Shimron Hetmyer
• Amir Jangoo (wicketkeeper)
• Alzarri Joseph
• Shamar Joseph
• Gudakesh Motie
• Sherfane Rutherford
• Jayden Seales
• Shamar Springer

Alzarri Joseph and Gudakesh Motie both returned from injury and workload management for that Sri Lanka series, so their inclusion in the India touring party will likely depend on how their bowling loads are managed across the back half of the year.

Why does this series matter for both teams?

For India, this tour is the first real building block of a long home season that leads toward the 2027 World Cup, making it a key window to test bench strength and possibly recall experienced campaigners like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. For West Indies, it is a chance to pick up valuable ranking points and rebuild momentum on the biggest stage cricket has to offer, playing in front of India’s famously passionate crowds across five different cities.