The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the schedule for New Zealand’s tour of India. The Kiwi team will visit India at the beginning of 2026 to play a three-match ODI series and a five-match T20I series. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since the ICC Champions Trophy in March 2025.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have already retired from T20Is and Test cricket, are expected to feature in the ODI series against New Zealand. The tour will kick off with the first ODI on January 11 and conclude with the fifth T20I on January 31. This series will be crucial for India in preparation for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026.
Return of Men’s Cricket to Vadodara After 15 Years
Vadodara will host the first ODI of the series, marking the return of men’s international cricket to the city after more than 15 years. The match will be played at the newly built Kotambi Stadium, which has previously hosted three women’s ODIs between India and West Indies in December 2024 and six WPL 2025 matches.
Interestingly, Vadodara last hosted a men’s international match in 2010, which also featured New Zealand. India’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir, was the Player of the Match in that game, scoring a century.
Following Vadodara, both teams will remain in Gujarat for the second ODI in Rajkot on January 14. The third and final ODI will be played in Indore on January 18.
The central leg of the tour begins with the T20Is in Nagpur (January 21) and Raipur (January 23). The teams will then travel east and south for the final T20Is – Guwahati (January 25), Visakhapatnam (January 28), and Thiruvananthapuram (January 31).
Similar: India Tour of England 2025 (IND vs ENG) – Complete Schedule, Squad, Teams & Live Streaming
New Zealand Tour of India 2026 – Full Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 January | 1st ODI | Vadodara | 1:30 PM |
| 14 January | 2nd ODI | Rajkot | 1:30 PM |
| 18 January | 3rd ODI | Indore | 1:30 PM |
| 21 January | 1st T20I | Nagpur | 7:00 PM |
| 23 January | 2nd T20I | Raipur | 7:00 PM |
| 25 January | 3rd T20I | Guwahati | 7:00 PM |
| 28 January | 4th T20I | Visakhapatnam | 7:00 PM |
| 31 January | 5th T20I | Thiruvananthapuram | 7:00 PM |