India and India A will tour New Zealand in October and November 2026, with the senior side playing five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests. India A will also play three four-day matches against New Zealand A. Here is the complete schedule, including venues, Indian start times and the two Indian squads announced so far.
BCCI announced the T20I and India A squads on October 6. Shreyas Iyer will lead the T20I side, while Dhruv Jurel will captain India A. The senior tour starts on October 22 and is scheduled to finish on December 1.
What has BCCI announced?
The latest update confirms the players selected for the five T20Is and the three India A matches. India’s ODI and Test squads will be announced later, according to BCCI.
The senior team’s full itinerary had already been released in June. The October announcement adds the squad details and lists the T20I and India A fixtures. These are two separate series running alongside each other, so the India A games are not part of the senior team’s 12-match total.
| Team and format | Matches | Dates in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| India: T20Is | 5 | October 22 to November 1 |
| India: ODIs | 5 | November 4 to 15 |
| India: Tests | 2 | November 19 to December 1 |
| India A: four-day matches | 3 | October 24 to November 10 |
India T20I schedule against New Zealand
The T20I series opens with two matches at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The teams then move to Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton. All five games are scheduled to begin at 12:30 PM IST, which is 8:00 PM in New Zealand.
| Match | Date in 2026 | Venue | Start time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | Thursday, October 22 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 12:30 PM |
| 2nd T20I | Saturday, October 24 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 12:30 PM |
| 3rd T20I | Tuesday, October 27 | Hnry Stadium, Wellington | 12:30 PM |
| 4th T20I | Friday, October 30 | Eden Park, Auckland | 12:30 PM |
| 5th T20I | Sunday, November 1 | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 12:30 PM |
India’s full T20I squad
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s selection is one of the main talking points. The seamer returns to the T20I squad after last appearing for India in New Zealand in November 2022. Varun Chakaravarthy is also back in the squad.
Samson and Kishan give India two designated wicketkeeping options. Iyer has been named captain for this T20I assignment, with Tilak as his deputy. The squad contains 16 players, but the playing XI for each match will be selected separately.
India ODI schedule against New Zealand
The five-match ODI series begins at Eden Park on November 4. Wellington and Hamilton host the next two games before the teams play twice at Bay Oval in Tauranga. Every ODI is scheduled for a 7:30 AM IST start, or 3:00 PM local time.
| Match | Date in 2026 | Venue | Start time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | Wednesday, November 4 | Eden Park, Auckland | 7:30 AM |
| 2nd ODI | Saturday, November 7 | Hnry Stadium, Wellington | 7:30 AM |
| 3rd ODI | Tuesday, November 10 | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 7:30 AM |
| 4th ODI | Friday, November 13 | Bay Oval, Tauranga | 7:30 AM |
| 5th ODI | Sunday, November 15 | Bay Oval, Tauranga | 7:30 AM |
The longer ODI series gives the teams five opportunities to assess their combinations. However, the T20I squad should not be treated as India’s ODI squad. BCCI has not included the ODI selection in its October 6 announcement.
India Test schedule against New Zealand
The tour ends with two Tests, starting in Wellington on November 19 before moving to Christchurch on November 27. Both matches have an 11:00 AM local start, which converts to 3:30 AM IST.
| Match | Dates in 2026 | Venue | Daily start (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | November 19 to 23 | Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington | 3:30 AM |
| 2nd Test | November 27 to December 1 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 3:30 AM |
Each Test has five scheduled playing days. Wellington’s Test will be played at the Basin Reserve, while its T20I and ODI will take place at Hnry Stadium. Fans planning around the venues should keep that difference in mind.
India A tour of New Zealand: Full schedule
India A will face New Zealand A in three four-day matches. Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln hosts the first and third games, with Hagley Oval hosting the second. The listed start time is 3:00 AM IST, equivalent to 10:30 AM local time.
| Match | Dates in 2026 | Venue | Daily start (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st four-day match | October 24 to 27 | Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln | 3:00 AM |
| 2nd four-day match | October 31 to November 3 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 3:00 AM |
| 3rd four-day match | November 7 to 10 | Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln | 3:00 AM |
These are first-class matches between the A teams, often called unofficial Tests. They are separate from the two senior internationals and do not count as Test appearances.
All dates above follow the New Zealand match calendar. The listed IST starts fall on the same calendar dates. New Zealand is seven hours and 30 minutes ahead of India during this tour. Start times may change if weather or match conditions require it.
India A’s full squad
Dhruv Jurel (captain and wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper, subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod and Mukesh Kumar.
Pant’s inclusion is conditional on fitness. His name in the squad should therefore not be taken as confirmation that he will play all three matches.
Jaiswal, Rahul and Padikkal are among the batting options, while Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and Kamboj are part of the pace group. Jurel leads the 15-player squad, which also includes Washington and Suthar.
Why the India A series matters
The timing gives the red-ball players a chance to adjust to New Zealand conditions before the senior Test series. Batters can build longer innings, while bowlers can prepare for the demands of repeated spells across several days.
India A’s last match is scheduled to finish on November 10. The first senior Test begins on November 19, leaving eight clear days between the two fixtures. That creates a useful preparation window, although selection in India A does not guarantee a place in the Test squad.
Where can fans in India watch the matches?
Sony LIV has listed the senior India tour of New Zealand for live streaming, with highlights and replays also advertised on its tour page.
For the India A series, New Zealand broadcaster Rova reports that the matches will be streamed on New Zealand Cricket’s YouTube channel. Fans should check the individual match listings nearer the start, as coverage of the A series is separate from the senior tour.
