India vs New Zealand 2026: Schedule, Squads and Timings
India’s 12-match tour of New Zealand runs from 22 October to 1 December 2026, with five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests. Here is the complete schedule with Indian start times, every squad announced, venues, head-to-head records and the players to watch.
By CricketGatha · Updated 19 October 2026 · 9 min read
The tour is India’s first Test series in New Zealand since 2019-20 and their first white-ball series there since 2022. The ODIs are a key part of preparation for the 2027 World Cup, while the two Tests count towards the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. Shreyas Iyer captains the T20I side, Shubman Gill leads the Test team and the first three ODIs, and Iyer takes over the final two ODIs.
Tour Overview
| Tour | India tour of New Zealand 2026-27 |
| Dates | 22 October to 1 December 2026 |
| Matches | 5 T20Is, 5 ODIs, 2 Tests |
| First match | 1st T20I, Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
| Last match | 2nd Test, Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
| India captains | Shreyas Iyer (T20Is, ODIs 4-5), Shubman Gill (ODIs 1-3, Tests) |
| New Zealand captain | Mitchell Santner |
| India A | Three multi-day matches v New Zealand A, 24 October to 10 November (captain Dhruv Jurel) |
T20I Series: Schedule and Squad
| Match | Date | Venue | NZ time | IST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | Thu, 22 Oct | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM |
| 2nd T20I | Sat, 24 Oct | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM |
| 3rd T20I | Tue, 27 Oct | Hnry Stadium, Wellington | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM |
| 4th T20I | Fri, 30 Oct | Eden Park, Auckland | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM |
| 5th T20I | Sun, 1 Nov | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 8:00 PM | 12:30 PM |
India T20I squad (announced 6 October, 16 players)
ODI Series: Schedule and Squads
| Match | Date | Venue | IST | India captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | Wed, 4 Nov | Eden Park, Auckland | 7:30 AM | Shubman Gill |
| 2nd ODI | Sat, 7 Nov | Hnry Stadium, Wellington | 7:30 AM | Shubman Gill |
| 3rd ODI | Tue, 10 Nov | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 7:30 AM | Shubman Gill |
| 4th ODI | Fri, 13 Nov | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | 7:30 AM | Shreyas Iyer |
| 5th ODI | Sun, 15 Nov | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | 7:30 AM | Shreyas Iyer |
India have named two separate squads, one for the first three ODIs and one for the last two. This lets the selectors manage workload and test options before the 2027 World Cup.
Squad for ODIs 1 to 3 (captain Gill)
Squad for ODIs 4 and 5 (captain Iyer)
*Prasidh Krishna is subject to fitness clearance. What changes for the last two ODIs: Tilak Varma, Auqib Nabi, Kumar Kushagra (a maiden ODI call-up) and Yash Thakur come in, while Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna are not in the squad.
Test Series: Schedule and Squad
| Match | Dates | Venue | IST start |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 19 to 23 Nov | Basin Reserve, Wellington | 3:30 AM |
| 2nd Test | 27 Nov to 1 Dec | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 3:30 AM |
India Test squad (16 players, captain Gill)
*Rishabh Pant is subject to fitness clearance.
New Zealand’s Squads
New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, have also named separate ODI squads for the first three matches and for the last two.
NZ ODIs 1 to 3
NZ ODIs 4 and 5
Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert return for the final two ODIs, while Rachin Ravindra is in the squad for the first three.
Key Selection Stories
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back: The swing bowler returns to the T20I squad after nearly four years. His last T20I was in Napier in November 2022. Read his full profile.
- Bumrah returns in Tests: Jasprit Bumrah is in the Test squad, but not in the ODI squads. See his profile.
- Kohli and Rohit in all five ODIs: Both are in each ODI squad. Kohli turns 38 on 5 November, the day after the first ODI.
- Jadeja in Tests only: Ravindra Jadeja is in the Test squad but not in either ODI squad.
- Maiden ODI call-up: Kumar Kushagra, a wicketkeeper, is named for the last two ODIs.
- Fitness calls: Rishabh Pant (Tests) and Prasidh Krishna (ODIs) are selected subject to fitness clearance.
- Vaibhav in the T20I squad: 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is part of the T20I team.
India vs New Zealand Head-to-Head
| Format | Matches | India won | NZ won | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 65 | 22 | 16 | 27 draws |
| ODIs | 123 | 63 | 52 | 1 tie, 7 no result |
| T20Is | 31 | 17 | 11 | 3 ties |
| Total | 219 | 102 | 79 | 38 |
Recent history
- 2019 World Cup: New Zealand beat India in the semi-final.
- 2021 WTC final: New Zealand beat India in the inaugural final.
- 2023 World Cup: India beat New Zealand in the Mumbai semi-final, scoring 397/4 and winning by 70 runs.
- 2024 Tests: New Zealand won 3-0 in India, the first whitewash of India in a home Test series of three or more matches.
- 2025 Champions Trophy: India beat New Zealand in the final.
- January 2026: New Zealand won the three-match ODI series 2-1 in India, after India won the opener. India won the T20I series 4-1.
- 2026 T20 World Cup: India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the final.
Players to Watch
Shubman Gill
Captains in the Tests and the first three ODIs. Read the Gill profile.
Shreyas Iyer
Leads the T20Is and the last two ODIs. He scored a maiden T20I hundred against the West Indies this month.
Virat Kohli
Back in New Zealand for five ODIs. See his profile.
Rohit Sharma
Opens in the ODIs. See his profile.
Jasprit Bumrah
Returns for the Tests on seamer-friendly pitches.
Venues
| Venue | City | Hosts |
|---|---|---|
| Hagley Oval | Christchurch | T20Is 1 and 2, 2nd Test |
| Hnry Stadium | Wellington | 3rd T20I, 2nd ODI |
| Eden Park | Auckland | 4th T20I, 1st ODI |
| Seddon Park | Hamilton | 5th T20I, 3rd ODI |
| Bay Oval | Mount Maunganui | ODIs 4 and 5 |
| Basin Reserve | Wellington | 1st Test |
New Zealand’s conditions usually help seam and swing bowlers early in an innings, which makes the tour a good test of India’s batting technique.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does India’s tour of New Zealand 2026 start?
The first T20I is on 22 October 2026 in Christchurch. The tour ends with the second Test on 1 December.
What time do the matches start in India?
T20Is at 12:30 PM IST, ODIs at 7:30 AM IST and Tests at 3:30 AM IST.
Who is India’s captain in New Zealand?
Shreyas Iyer in the T20Is and the last two ODIs, and Shubman Gill in the Tests and the first three ODIs.
Are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma playing the ODIs?
Yes, both are in the squads for all five ODIs.
Is Bumrah in India’s squad?
Yes, but only in the Test squad. He is not in the T20I or ODI squads.
How many matches will India play in New Zealand?
12 matches: five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests.
