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asia-cup-2026

Asia Cup 2026 — JioHotstar, PTV Sports & Sony Sports broadcast guide

The Asian Cricket Council's flagship six-nation tournament — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and a qualifier — typically alternates T20 and ODI formats by edition.

The Asia Cup 2026 brings the Asian Cricket Council’s six nations together in September — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and a qualifier from Hong Kong, Nepal, the UAE or Oman. Sri Lanka is the expected host. The format (T20 or ODI) and final schedule are confirmed by the ACC in the weeks before the tournament.

Star Sports holds the India broadcast through the ACC media-rights deal; JioHotstar carries streaming. PTV Sports and A Sports cover Pakistan, with Tapmad TV adding the streaming layer.

Where to watch in India legally

Television — Star Sports network. Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi and regional-language feeds carry every match.

Streaming — JioHotstar. Mobile ad-tier free for Jio subscribers; Premium ₹299/month or ₹999/year.

Free legal coverage — DD Sports (likely, for India matches). Subject to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s “national importance” designation under the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act.

Pan-region availability

MarketTelevisionStreaming
IndiaStar Sports + DD Sports (India matches, TBC)JioHotstar
PakistanPTV Sports + A SportsTapmad TV
United KingdomSky Sports CricketSky Go
AustraliaFox CricketKayo Sports
BangladeshGazi TV / T SportsToffee
Sri LankaSri Lanka RupavahiniSLRC streaming

Series schedule

Pavilion Press · Cricket fixtures 2026

Cricket schedule — legal broadcasters by country

Pan-region rights split. Times and channels confirmed against official broadcaster releases; tour windows may shift — check the rights-holder app for kick-off the day of play.

SeriesFormatWindowTeamsIndia (legal)Pakistan (legal)UK (legal)
ICC Champions Trophy 2026ODIFeb 20268 nations (TBC host: Pakistan)Star Sports / JioHotstarPTV Sports / Tapmad TVSky Sports Cricket
IPL 2026T20 leagueMar–May 202610 franchisesStar Sports + JioHotstarNot licensed (PEMRA blackout)Sky Sports Cricket
PSL 2026T20 leagueApr–May 20266 franchisesSony Sports (subject to confirmation)PTV Sports / Tapmad TV / A SportsSky Sports / Willow TV
Indian Premier League final & playoffsT20 knockoutMay 2026Top-4 IPLStar Sports + JioHotstarNot licensedSky Sports Cricket
England tour of IndiaTests + ODIs + T20IsJan–Feb 2026India vs EnglandStar Sports + JioHotstarPTV / Ten SportsSky Sports Cricket / TNT Sports
Australia vs India ODI seriesODIOct–Nov 2026 (tentative)India vs AustraliaSony Sports / JioHotstarTen SportsSky Sports Cricket
ICC T20 World Cup 2026T20 World CupFeb–Mar 2026 (India + Sri Lanka hosts)20 nationsStar Sports + JioHotstar + DD Sports (selected)PTV / A SportsSky Sports Cricket
BBL 2025/26 finalsT20 league knockoutFeb 2026Top-5 BBLSony SportsSony Sports (selected)BT Sport / TNT Sports
The Hundred 2026100-ball leagueAug 20268 franchisesSony Sports (TBC)TBCSky Sports + BBC (selected)
CPL 2026T20 leagueAug–Sep 20266 franchisesFanCode / Star SportsTapmad TVSky Sports / FanCode
ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026T20 World Cup (Women)Jun 2026 (England host)10 nationsStar Sports / JioHotstarPTVSky Sports + BBC
Asia Cup 2026T20 / ODI (TBC)Sep 20266 nationsStar Sports / JioHotstarPTV / A SportsSky Sports
WTC 2025–27 cycle: India testsTestThrough Jun 2027India + opponentsStar Sports + JioHotstarTen SportsSky Sports Cricket
Sri Lanka tour of AustraliaODI + T20IFeb 2026Sri Lanka vs AustraliaFanCodeTapmad TVSky Sports (selected)
Pakistan vs Bangladesh ODI seriesODIApr 2026Pakistan vs BangladeshTen SportsPTV Sports / A SportsSky Sports (selected)

Smartcric Guide is editorial only — we do not host, embed or link to unauthorised streams. Match access is via the licensed broadcaster apps listed above.

How to watch legally

  1. In India, check the I&B Ministry’s notification before the tournament — if India matches are mandated free-to-air, DD Sports is the cheapest route. Otherwise, JioHotstar Premium covers the whole tournament.
  2. In Pakistan, PTV Sports terrestrial is free; Tapmad TV’s monthly subscription adds streaming.
  3. In the UK and Australia, Sky Sports Cricket and Fox Cricket via Kayo are the standard pay routes.

Smartcric Guide does not host any Asia Cup feed. Copyright complaints: [email protected].

Frequently asked questions

Is the Asia Cup 2026 in T20 or ODI format?
TBC by the Asian Cricket Council. The Asia Cup historically alternates between T20 (when the next World Cup is T20) and ODI (when the next World Cup is ODI). With the ICC T20 World Cup already played in February-March 2026, the September Asia Cup window may swing to ODI format as a tune-up for the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle. The ACC publishes confirmed format and schedule roughly three months before the tournament.
Where will the Asia Cup 2026 be hosted?
Sri Lanka is the expected host, but the BCCI–PCB tension that drove the 2023 Asia Cup hybrid model (Pakistan + Sri Lanka) may apply again. The ACC’s preferred venue is Colombo, with possible secondary venues in Hambantota and Kandy. India’s matches are likely played at a neutral venue under any hybrid arrangement.
Is the Asia Cup 2026 free to watch in India?
DD Sports may carry India matches under the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act if the event qualifies as ‘of national importance’ — the determination is made by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for each tournament. For the full tournament, JioHotstar Premium is required.