Commonwealth, Asian Games and T20 World Cup to shape Pakistan’s 2026 sports calendar

Sports fans and athletes alike can expect an action-packed 2026 calendar featuring major quadrennial sports events, routine international seasons, as well as plenty of domestic action.

The cricket-crazy nation will see both the men’s and women’s ICC T20 World Cups this year, while football freaks across all global timezones have nearly six weeks of FIFA World Cup action.

Pakistan is expected to send a sizable contingent to the Commonwealth Games in June, where the likes of javelin star Arshad Nadeem and weightlifter Nooh Dastagir Butt set games records while winning Pakistan’s only gold medals at the previous edition.

Although Pakistan’s medal tally at the Asian Games has dropped in recent editions, there is hope for a resurgence at the continental multi-sport event after markswoman Kishmala Talat won a historic bronze in Hangzhou 2022 while the men’s squash team picked up the lone silver medal.

January

The year began with the city by the sea welcoming nearly 7,000 domestic and international athletes at the Karachi Marathon on Sunday, January 4, in a route along the city’s coastline.

Two days later, squash’s biggest global stars will descend on the metropolis for the Rich Venus Karachi Open; six Pakistani players will also feature in the gold-level PSA event, including U23 world champion Noor Zaman.

The first taste of international cricket comes with Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka for a T20 series from Jan 7, although the U19 team is currently playing a tri-nation series against hosts Zimbabwe and Afghanistan that began in December.

The first Grand Slam of the year gets underway on Jan 12 with the Australian Open.

February

The 2026 Winter Olympics begin on Feb 6 in Milano-Cortina, Italy, where Muhammad Karim will be competing for Pakistan in Alpine Skiing.

Cricket’s biggest event of the year gets underway on Feb 7. The highly-awaited ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be played in India and Sri Lanka, with all of Pakistan’s matches being held in Colombo due to strained relations with India.

From Feb 10-15, Pakistan’s hockey team will play in the second leg of the FIH Pro League in Australia against the hosts and Germany, while Pakistan Shaheens will play the England Lions in T20s and One-Days.

Pakistan is set to host the 2nd Asian Masters and World Grand Prix Masters Weightlifting Championship in Islamabad from Feb 6-11.

March

World Marathon Majors’ first of seven championships gets underway on March 1 with the Tokyo Marathon. Formula 1 fans can begin watching their season on March 6, with the first stop in Australia and the last in Abu Dhabi in December.

The national Women’s T20 tournament gets underway March 24-April 17, while men’s cricket comes home for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) March 26 onward. The 11th PSL season will be the longest one yet — stretching to 39 playing days. Matches will be held in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and, for the first time, Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

For the second year in a row, PSL will clash with the Indian Premier League being held March 26-May 31.

The World Athletics Indoor Championships will take place from March 20-22 in Poland.

April

The first stop of the ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup begins April 5 in Grenada, Spain, while the World Snooker Championship runs from April 18-May 4 in England.

Golf enthusiasts can watch the US Masters Tournament from April 9-12.

The Boston Marathon will be held on April 20, followed by the London Marathon on April 26.

May

Global squash powerhouse Egypt will host the PSA World Championship from May 8-16, while the prestigious British Open will take place from May 26-June 7 in Birmingham. Last year, Noor Zaman clinched the final spot in the main draw of the tournament, and can be expected to compete again this year.