The India Tour of New Zealand 2026 is set to be one of the biggest bilateral cricket tours of the year, with India and the Black Caps meeting across all three international formats.
The blockbuster tour starts on October 22, 2026 and runs until December 1, 2026, featuring five T20 internationals, five ODIs and two Tests. New Zealand Cricket says the 12-match programme is the largest inbound international tour in NZC history by number of matches.
The action begins with back-to-back T20Is at Hagley Oval in Christchurch before moving through Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton. The five-match ODI series then takes over, followed by two Tests in Wellington and Christchurch.
For Indian viewers, the T20Is are conveniently scheduled around 12:30 PM IST, while the ODIs begin at approximately 7:30 AM IST and the Tests at about 3:30 AM IST based on the currently published start times.
India Tour of New Zealand 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Series | India Tour of New Zealand 2026 |
| Teams | India vs New Zealand |
| Host | New Zealand |
| Start Date | October 22, 2026 |
| End Date | December 1, 2026 |
| T20Is | 5 |
| ODIs | 5 |
| Tests | 2 |
| Total Matches | 12 |
| First Match | 1st T20I – Christchurch |
| Final Match | 2nd Test – Christchurch |
| Main Cities | Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, Mount Maunganui |
| Tour Duration | October 22–December 1 |
New Zealand Cricket has described the India series as a major centrepiece of its 2026–27 international home season.
India vs New Zealand 2026 Full Schedule
T20I Series Schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Local Time | India Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | October 22 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM IST |
| 2nd T20I | October 24 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM IST |
| 3rd T20I | October 27 | Wellington | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM IST |
| 4th T20I | October 30 | Eden Park, Auckland | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM IST |
| 5th T20I | November 1 | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM IST |
The five-match T20I series runs from October 22 to November 1. Christchurch hosts the first two games, followed by Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton.
India vs New Zealand 2026 ODI Schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Local Time | India Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | November 4 | Eden Park, Auckland | 3:00 PM | 7:30 AM IST |
| 2nd ODI | November 7 | Wellington | 3:00 PM | 7:30 AM IST |
| 3rd ODI | November 10 | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 3:00 PM | 7:30 AM IST |
| 4th ODI | November 13 | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | 3:00 PM | 7:30 AM IST |
| 5th ODI | November 15 | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | 3:00 PM | 7:30 AM IST |
Auckland opens the ODI series before matches in Wellington and Hamilton. Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui will stage the fourth and fifth ODIs.
India vs New Zealand 2026 Test Schedule
| Test | Dates | Venue | Local Start | India Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | November 19–23 | Basin Reserve, Wellington | 11:00 AM | 3:30 AM IST |
| 2nd Test | November 27–December 1 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 11:00 AM | 3:30 AM IST |
The first Test begins at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on November 19, while Hagley Oval hosts the second and final Test beginning November 27.
Complete IND vs NZ 2026 Fixture List
For quick reference, here is the entire 12-match programme:
| # | Date | Match | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 22 | 1st T20I | Christchurch |
| 2 | Oct 24 | 2nd T20I | Christchurch |
| 3 | Oct 27 | 3rd T20I | Wellington |
| 4 | Oct 30 | 4th T20I | Auckland |
| 5 | Nov 1 | 5th T20I | Hamilton |
| 6 | Nov 4 | 1st ODI | Auckland |
| 7 | Nov 7 | 2nd ODI | Wellington |
| 8 | Nov 10 | 3rd ODI | Hamilton |
| 9 | Nov 13 | 4th ODI | Mount Maunganui |
| 10 | Nov 15 | 5th ODI | Mount Maunganui |
| 11 | Nov 19–23 | 1st Test | Wellington |
| 12 | Nov 27–Dec 1 | 2nd Test | Christchurch |
The ICC has independently published the same match dates as part of New Zealand’s 2026–27 home-season announcement. icc
India vs New Zealand 1st T20I 2026
Date: October 22, 2026
Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Start: 8:00 PM local / approximately 12:30 PM IST
The tour begins with a T20I under lights at Hagley Oval.
Christchurch also hosts the second T20I only two days later, meaning both teams will get an immediate opportunity to adapt to South Island conditions.
Hagley Oval is generally known for offering some assistance to seam and swing bowlers, particularly when conditions are cool.
India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I
Date: October 24
Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Time: 12:30 PM IST
The second game completes the Christchurch leg before the tour moves north.
Having back-to-back matches at the same venue could encourage both teams to adjust quickly based on what they learn from the opening fixture.
India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I
Date: October 27
Venue: Wellington
Time: 12:30 PM IST
Wellington hosts the middle match of the five-game series.
Wind can often become a factor in Wellington cricket, creating interesting tactical challenges for bowlers and fielders.
India vs New Zealand 4th T20I
Date: October 30
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Time: 12:30 PM IST
Eden Park is one of New Zealand’s most recognizable cricket venues.
Its unusual dimensions and relatively short straight boundaries can produce attacking T20 cricket, although conditions can vary significantly from match to match.
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I
Date: November 1
Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton
Time: 12:30 PM IST
Hamilton hosts the T20I series finale.
The teams will then have only a short turnaround before beginning the five-match ODI series in Auckland on November 4.
India vs New Zealand ODI Series 2026
The ODI portion of the tour is especially important because it provides both teams with valuable preparation ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
India and New Zealand play five ODIs between November 4 and November 15, giving both sides an unusually long bilateral 50-over series by modern standards.
The itinerary is:
Auckland → Wellington → Hamilton → Mount Maunganui → Mount Maunganui
With the 2027 World Cup less than a year away at that point, the series provides opportunities to test combinations, batting orders and bowling depth.
India vs New Zealand 1st ODI
Date: November 4
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Time: approximately 7:30 AM IST
The ODI series begins just three days after the final T20I.
That short turnaround could result in squad rotation, particularly for players involved in all three formats.
India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI
Date: November 7
Venue: Wellington
Time: approximately 7:30 AM IST
Wellington hosts its second white-ball match of the tour after also staging the third T20I.
India vs New Zealand 3rd ODI
Date: November 10
Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton
Time: approximately 7:30 AM IST
Hamilton’s Seddon Park hosts the middle ODI of the series.
It also means Hamilton stages both a T20I and an ODI during India’s tour.
India vs New Zealand 4th ODI
Date: November 13
Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Time: approximately 7:30 AM IST
The series then heads to Mount Maunganui for consecutive games at Bay Oval.
India vs New Zealand 5th ODI
Date: November 15
Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Time: approximately 7:30 AM IST
The fifth ODI brings the white-ball section of India’s tour to an end.
Only four days later, the teams begin the Test series in Wellington.
India vs New Zealand Test Series 2026
After ten white-ball internationals, attention shifts to red-ball cricket.
The two-Test series is scheduled for:
November 19–23 – Wellington
November 27–December 1 – Christchurch
New Zealand Cricket has allocated Cello Basin Reserve in Wellington the opening Test, while Hagley Oval hosts the second Test.
Conditions in New Zealand traditionally bring seam and swing bowling into the game, particularly early in Test matches, making batting technique against pace a major storyline.
1st Test – Wellington
Dates: November 19–23
Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington
India start time: approximately 3:30 AM IST
The Basin Reserve is one of New Zealand’s historic Test grounds.
India will move from the 50-over series into Test cricket with only a few days between the fifth ODI and the opening Test.
Squad management could therefore become important, particularly for multi-format fast bowlers.
2nd Test – Christchurch
Dates: November 27–December 1
Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
India start time: approximately 3:30 AM IST
The tour concludes where it began: Christchurch.
After hosting the first two T20Is, Hagley Oval returns as the venue for the second Test.
The final scheduled day, December 1, 2026, marks the conclusion of India’s 12-match New Zealand tour. icc
Venues for India Tour of New Zealand 2026
Five major cricket centres will host India.
Hagley Oval – Christchurch
Matches:
1st T20I
2nd T20I
2nd Test
Christchurch therefore hosts three matches across two formats.
Wellington
Matches:
3rd T20I
2nd ODI
1st Test
The limited-overs matches are staged at Wellington’s main stadium, while the Test is played at the Basin Reserve. NZC
Eden Park – Auckland
Matches:
4th T20I
1st ODI
Eden Park’s compact dimensions often make it particularly interesting for white-ball cricket.
Seddon Park – Hamilton
Matches:
5th T20I
3rd ODI
Hamilton hosts the end of the T20 series and the middle game of the ODI series.
Bay Oval – Mount Maunganui
Matches:
4th ODI
5th ODI
Mount Maunganui hosts consecutive ODIs on November 13 and 15.
Why This India Tour Is Historic for New Zealand Cricket
The scale of the tour makes it unusual.
India will play:
5 T20Is + 5 ODIs + 2 Tests = 12 matches
NZC says that makes it the largest number of internationals ever scheduled for a single inbound tour in New Zealand. NZC
Instead of the increasingly common pattern of short three-match bilateral series, India and New Zealand will spend almost six weeks playing across all formats.
That creates multiple mini-series within the same tour.
India vs New Zealand Rivalry
The India-New Zealand rivalry has produced several important matches in recent years.
New Zealand defeated India in the 2019 World Cup semi-final and the 2021 World Test Championship Final. India later beat New Zealand in the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final and, according to NZC’s 2026 season announcement, also defeated the Black Caps in the 2026 T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
New Zealand also achieved a landmark result in India during 2024, becoming the first touring side to complete a three-match Test series sweep there.
The Black Caps followed that by winning their first ODI series in India, 2–1, in January 2026.
Those results add another layer to the upcoming New Zealand tour.
New Zealand Beat India 2–1 in January 2026 ODI Series
Earlier in 2026, New Zealand travelled to India for a three-match ODI series.
India won the opening ODI in Vadodara by four wickets, but New Zealand bounced back to win by seven wickets in Rajkot and 41 runs in Indore, securing the series 2–1.
The October-November tour therefore gives India an opportunity to face the Black Caps again in ODI cricket, this time in New Zealand conditions.
India Won the January T20I Series
The same January 2026 tour also included five T20Is.
India won the series 4–1, recording victories in Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram, while New Zealand won the fourth match in Visakhapatnam.
That provides recent context for another five-match T20I contest beginning October 22.
Why the ODI Series Matters for World Cup 2027
The timing of the five-match ODI series is important.
The 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia the following year.
Five ODIs in New Zealand provide both sides with an extended opportunity to refine their World Cup plans.
Teams can use such a series to test:
- Opening combinations
- Middle-order roles
- Wicketkeeping options
- Pace-bowling depth
- Spin combinations
- All-rounders
- Death-overs strategies
For India in particular, the tour occurs during an important phase of preparation ahead of the 2027 tournament.
Why the Test Series Will Be Challenging
New Zealand conditions traditionally present a different Test challenge from playing in India.
Seam movement, wind and changing overhead conditions can make batting difficult, particularly against the new ball.
India’s batters could therefore face a strong examination against New Zealand’s pace attack.
At the same time, India’s fast bowlers may enjoy conditions that provide more assistance than many home pitches.
The short two-match series also means there is little room for a slow start.
Where to Watch India vs New Zealand 2026
New Zealand Cricket has confirmed Sky New Zealand as the host broadcaster for NZC home internationals under a new six-season partnership beginning with this summer.
The official Indian television and streaming rights for the tour should be checked closer to October 22 once distribution details for India are formally confirmed.
Avoid relying on older broadcast information because rights can change between tours.
IND vs NZ 2026 FAQs
When does India tour New Zealand in 2026?
The tour starts on October 22, 2026 and concludes on December 1, 2026.
How many matches will India play in New Zealand?
India will play 12 internationals: five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests.
When is India vs New Zealand 1st T20I?
The first T20I is scheduled for October 22 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
What time will IND vs NZ T20 matches start in India?
The currently published schedule lists the T20Is at 7:00 AM GMT / 8:00 PM local time, which corresponds to approximately 12:30 PM IST.
When does the ODI series start?
The five-match ODI series starts on November 4 at Eden Park in Auckland.
What time are the India-New Zealand ODIs in India?
The scheduled 3:00 PM local starts correspond to approximately 7:30 AM IST.
When is India vs New Zealand 1st Test?
The first Test is scheduled for November 19–23 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
When is the second Test?
The second Test runs from November 27 to December 1 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Has India announced its squad?
As of October 3, 2026, India’s complete squads specifically for this New Zealand tour have not yet been officially announced.
How many T20Is will India play?
India will play five T20Is from October 22 to November 1.
How many ODIs will India play?
India and New Zealand will contest five ODIs from November 4 through November 15.
Which venues will host the India tour?
The tour visits Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui.
Where will the Test matches be played?
The first Test is at Basin Reserve, Wellington, while the second is at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
Final Words
The India Tour of New Zealand 2026 promises an unusually extensive contest between two of international cricket’s leading teams.
Starting on October 22, India and New Zealand will play five T20Is across Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton before beginning a five-match ODI series on November 4.
The white-ball action concludes at Bay Oval on November 15, after which the teams shift immediately to Test cricket. Wellington hosts the first Test from November 19, while Christchurch stages the second from November 27 through December 1.
With 12 matches across three formats, NZC describes it as the biggest inbound tour in its history by match count.
Recent results add extra intrigue: New Zealand won their first ODI series in India earlier in 2026, while India dominated the corresponding T20I series.
That sets the stage for nearly six weeks of cricket—and makes India vs New Zealand 2026 one of the standout bilateral tours of the international season.
