Christchurch, October 22: Twelve international matches, four venues’ worth of travel and a captaincy debate waiting for an answer: India’s tour of New Zealand begins today at Hagley Oval. Vegas11 News has the full schedule in Indian time, the squads and the stories that will shape the next six weeks.
India tour of New Zealand 2026 schedule in IST
The tour covers five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests between October 22 and December 1. In Indian time, the T20Is begin at 12:30 pm, the ODIs at 7:30 am and the Tests at 3:30 am.
T20I series (12:30 pm IST)
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 22 | 1st T20I | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
| Sat, Oct 24 | 2nd T20I | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
| Tue, Oct 27 | 3rd T20I | Wellington |
| Fri, Oct 30 | 4th T20I | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Sun, Nov 1 | 5th T20I | Seddon Park, Hamilton |
ODI series (7:30 am IST)
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Nov 4 | 1st ODI | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Sat, Nov 7 | 2nd ODI | Wellington |
| Tue, Nov 10 | 3rd ODI | Seddon Park, Hamilton |
| Fri, Nov 13 | 4th ODI | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui |
| Sun, Nov 15 | 5th ODI | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui |
Test series (3:30 am IST)
| Dates | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 19–23 | 1st Test | Basin Reserve, Wellington |
| Nov 27–Dec 1 | 2nd Test | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
IND vs NZ match results: series tracker
The first ball has only just been bowled, so no result is in yet. This table will be updated after every game.
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| 1st T20I | Starts today, 12:30 pm IST |
| All other matches | Yet to be played |
Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy in the spotlight
Few captains begin a tour with a century fresh in memory and a defeat close behind it. Shreyas Iyer is in that spot. He struck an unbeaten 101 against the West Indies in Lucknow, his maiden T20I hundred, on the very day the selectors named this 16-man squad. Yet his first series as captain ended in a 2-0 loss in Ireland, the first time India had lost a series to the Irish in any format.
Preparation has been tight as well. The squad had just one training session in Christchurch before the opener. Only four of the 16 have played T20Is in New Zealand before: Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube. The rest will be learning the boundaries, the breeze and the bounce in real time.
There are plenty of fresh faces to watch. Abhishek Sharma and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will look to attack in the powerplay. Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns after nearly four years away from the T20I side, and Varun Chakravarthy is back after injury.
New Zealand’s pace-heavy T20I plan
The hosts, led by Mitchell Santner, have built a squad around fast bowling. Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson and Blair Tickner are all in the mix, and Adam Milne returns. For India’s batters, the early overs could be the toughest part of the series.
With the bat, New Zealand will look to Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips for power, with Devon Conway and Tim Seifert also in the squad. The head-to-head record favours India: 17 wins from 31 T20Is, against 11 for New Zealand, with three ties.
ODI series: Gill first, Iyer later
India will use two captains in the five ODIs. Shubman Gill leads the first three games and Shreyas Iyer takes over for the last two at Mount Maunganui. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are both in the squad, which also serves as preparation for next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Jasprit Bumrah is not part of the ODI group.
Test series: Bumrah’s return, Pant’s fitness
The long-format leg could be the most compelling part of the tour. Jasprit Bumrah comes back to lead India’s pace attack and has not played a Test since November 2025. He is joined by Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Anshul Kamboj. Gill captains the side with KL Rahul as his deputy. Rishabh Pant is included, but his place depends on fitness clearance. New Zealand have yet to announce their Test squad.
Where to watch IND vs NZ live in India
Viewers in India can watch the T20I series on the Sony Sports Network, with streaming on the Sony LIV app and website.
What to watch next
Three questions will define the tour. Can India’s young batting line-up handle New Zealand’s pace? Will Iyer’s captaincy settle after the Ireland setback? And will Pant be fit in time for the Tests? Vegas11 News will keep this page updated with scores, results and key moments from every match.
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