Australia return to international cricket this month as world champions. The Australia Women’s Cricket Team October 2026 schedule has three ODIs against Bangladesh in Brisbane, followed by three T20Is against New Zealand in Sydney. These are their first international matches since they won the Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
All details below are accurate as of 6 October 2026. Both series sit under the NRMA Insurance Women’s International Series banner.
Australia Women’s Cricket Team October 2026 schedule at a glance
Australia play six matches in 14 days, starting on 9 October. Three are 50-over games and three are T20Is.
| Date | Match | Format | Venue |
| 9 October | Australia v Bangladesh (1st ODI) | ODI | Allan Border Field, Brisbane |
| 11 October | Australia v Bangladesh (2nd ODI) | ODI | Allan Border Field, Brisbane |
| 14 October | Australia v Bangladesh (3rd ODI) | ODI | Allan Border Field, Brisbane |
| 18 October | Australia v New Zealand (1st T20I) | T20I | North Sydney Oval, Sydney |
| 20 October | Australia v New Zealand (2nd T20I) | T20I | North Sydney Oval, Sydney |
| 22 October | Australia v New Zealand (3rd T20I) | T20I | North Sydney Oval, Sydney |
Start times were not confirmed in the sources I checked. The home board and Cricinfo will list them closer to each match.
Only three clear days separate the last ODI from the first T20I. That is a quick switch of formats.
ODI series against Bangladesh
All three ODIs are at Allan Border Field in Brisbane, on 9, 11 and 14 October. They fall on a Friday, a Sunday and a Wednesday, and they count towards the ICC Women’s Championship.
The T20Is that follow are on a Sunday, a Tuesday and a Thursday. That pattern leaves a rest day between games in both series.
National selector Shawn Flegler called the three games vital, with the 2027 ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in mind. That tournament is the first of its kind and is due in India in February 2027.
History between the sides
Australia swept Bangladesh 3 to 0 in the ODI series of 2023 to 24, on their first visit to Bangladesh. The T20I series on that tour also finished 3 to 0 for Australia.
Bangladesh had never beaten Australia in women’s international cricket before that tour. I would not rule out an upset this time, but the record says Australia are clear favourites.
Bangladesh arrive as underdogs
This is Bangladesh’s first bilateral ODI series in Australia. They sit eighth in the Women’s Championship standings.
What to watch
Watch the top order first. Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll are all in the squad, so the opening ODI will show who Australia see as first choice.
The bowling group has a clear shape. Megan Schutt and Kim Garth lead the pace options, with Alana King and Georgia Wareham as the spinners.
T20I series against New Zealand
New Zealand play three T20Is at North Sydney Oval on 18, 20 and 22 October. The White Ferns open their 2026-27 season with the series.
Australia use the same 14-player group for both series. That gives them a settled core, and it also means the ODI games double as preparation for the T20Is.
The tourists have lost some famous names to retirement. A new-look side against the champions is a tough first test.
New Zealand play a warm-up on 15 October, three days before the first T20I. That gives them some time in Australian conditions before the series begins.
Australia squad and fitness concerns
Cricket Australia named a 14-player group on the back of the World Cup win. Sophie Molineux is captain, and Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner are vice-captains.
The full group is Sophie Molineux, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton (T20Is only), Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll and Georgia Wareham. Grace Harris misses out.
Molineux and Hamilton
Molineux is recovering from a hip injury, and the medical team will assess her before the first ODI. She is also set to miss the opening round of the Women’s National Cricket League.
Hamilton has a mild quad strain from Queensland training and will miss the ODIs. The 20-year-old left-arm pacer could return for the T20Is.
Two vice-captains give Australia cover. One report expects Gardner to lead in the T20Is if Molineux is not fit, but the board has not said so.
One report called this a reduced squad. With six matches in 14 days, that leaves little room for rotation.
Molineux’s check comes before the first ODI on 9 October. If she misses the ODIs, McGrath or Gardner are the obvious options, and the T20I decision can wait.
What to expect from the visitors
Bangladesh
Bangladesh named a 16-player squad on 30 September. Nigar Sultana Joty leads, with Nahida Akter as vice-captain.
The full group is Nigar Sultana Joty, Nahida Akter, Shorna Akter, Marufa Akter, Rabeya Khan, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Sarmin Sultana, Sharmin Akter Supta, Sanjida Akter Meghla, Sultana Khatun, Dilara Akter, Farzana Haque, Disha Biswas, Murshida Khatun and Habiba Islam Pinky.
The squad is largely the group that played the Women’s Asia Cup and the Asian Games in Japan earlier this month. Marufa Akter spearheads the bowling, and 17-year-old Habiba Islam Pinky is among the pace options.
Disha Biswas and Habiba Islam Pinky are uncapped. Farzana Haque and Murshida Khatun return, with Murshida back after last playing in January 2025. Juairiya Ferdous and Fahima Khatun were left out.
Sanjida Akter Meghla has two ODI caps, and Dilara Akter has three. Dilara last played an ODI at the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Pakistan in April 2025.
New Zealand
Melie Kerr captains a 15-player White Ferns squad. Eden Carson, Molly Penfold, Hannah Rowe and Bella James are recalled, and the group departs for Australia on 12 October.
Before the T20Is, New Zealand play a warm-up against a Governor-General’s XI on 15 October. Dean Brownlie is interim head coach after Ben Sawyer left last month.
Why these six matches matter
The Champions Trophy is the long-term target. It is a new women’s tournament, and it starts in India in February 2027.
The ODIs earn Championship points, so they are not a warm-up in the usual sense. The T20Is carry no points, but they give a look at the squad against a rebuilt White Ferns side.
Australia’s group mixes experience and youth. Mooney, Ellyse Perry and Schutt sit beside Lucy Hamilton, who is 20.
New Zealand return in March 2027 for three ODIs in Canberra and Melbourne. Those games also count towards the Championship. The October T20Is are only the first chapter of that home rivalry.
Australia then travel to South Africa from 18 March 2027 for three T20Is, three ODIs and a Test.
Latest news note
As of 6 October 2026, Australia have not changed their 14-player squad. The main open item is Molineux and her hip.
The ODIs are also Australia’s first international matches since the World Cup win. Match fitness could matter as much as form in Brisbane.
Bangladesh were due to fly to Australia on 3 October. New Zealand follow on 12 October.
Key takeaways
- First match: Australia v Bangladesh, 9 October, Allan Border Field, Brisbane.
- ODI dates: 9, 11 and 14 October, all at the same ground.
- T20I dates: 18, 20 and 22 October at North Sydney Oval.
- Captain: Sophie Molineux, subject to fitness.
- Absent: Lucy Hamilton misses the ODIs, and Grace Harris is not in the squad.
- Head to head: Australia won the 2023 to 24 ODI series against Bangladesh 3 to 0.
- Squad size: one 14-player group covers both series.
- Bangladesh captain: Nigar Sultana Joty, with Nahida Akter as vice-captain.
FAQs
When does Australia play Bangladesh in October 2026?
Australia play Bangladesh in three ODIs on 9, 11 and 14 October in Brisbane.
When does Australia play New Zealand in October 2026?
Australia play New Zealand in three T20Is on 18, 20 and 22 October in Sydney.
Who captains Australia women in these series?
Sophie Molineux is captain, although her hip injury is still being assessed.
Are the Bangladesh ODIs part of the ICC Women’s Championship?
Yes, the three ODIs count towards the ICC Women’s Championship.
Which venues host the Australia women matches?
Allan Border Field in Brisbane hosts the ODIs, and North Sydney Oval in Sydney hosts the T20Is.
Conclusion
The Australia Women’s Cricket Team October 2026 schedule is compact and busy. Six matches in two venues will show how the world champions handle a fresh start.
As of 6 October 2026, the dates are set and the squad is named. Molineux’s hip is the one fitness story to follow before 9 October.
Bangladesh and New Zealand arrive with different problems. Both have to solve the same one, which is beating the champions at home.