Cricket Australia has confirmed its 2025-26 home international schedule, marking Darwin’s return as an international venue for the first time in 17 years.
The city will host two men’s T20Is between Australia and South Africa in August. Meanwhile, India will tour Australia for eight white-ball matches over 21 days ahead of the men’s Ashes, which begins in late November.
The men’s team will kick off their home season in mid-August, shortly after concluding their tour of the West Indies. They will face South Africa in three T20Is and three ODIs across northern Australia, with matches scheduled in Darwin, Cairns, and Mackaythe latter hosting Australia’s men for the first time.
Darwin last hosted international cricket in 2008 when Australia played Bangladesh. With this return, the men’s team will have played in all states and territories during the 2025-26 season. Northern Australia is also set to host a two-Test series against Bangladesh in 2026, which has been moved from March 2027 to accommodate the 150th anniversary Test at the MCG.
Darwin is in contention for one of those matches, alongside Cairns, Mackay, and possibly Townsville.
India, who lost 3-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy this season, will visit Australia from mid-October for three ODIs and five T20Is before the Ashes series. The Ashes fixtures have already been confirmed, with the first Test beginning on November 21 in Perth.India’s tour will also begin in Perth, with the first ODI on October 19strategically scheduled to avoid tight turnarounds due to lengthy flights. One of the five T20Is will be played on the Gold Coast. Additionally, there will be a longer gap between India’s white-ball series and the start of the Ashes compared to the shorter turnaround between the Pakistan and India series earlier this year, allowing Australia to field a full-strength squad. Before India’s arrival, Australia will briefly tour New Zealand in early October for a three-match T20I series, with dates yet to be confirmed.