Christchurch: New Zealand Cricket has announced its international home season which will see India’s blockbuster three-format tour from October 22 until December 1.
Team India will take on the New Zealand in five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Tests, played across the five major centres, with the 12 matches the most internationals scheduled for an in-bound tour in NZC history, NZC said in a realese.
The tour will also mark the first time since 2019 that India will play Test cricket in New Zealand, while it will be their first white-ball assignment in the country since 2022.
NZC also said that the New Zealand Government will be supporting the in-bound India tour alongside adjacent sporting tours by India later inthe year, as 100 years of sporting ties between New Zealand and India are commemorated.
Christchurch’s Hagley Oval opens the India tour with back-to-back T20Is on October 22 and 24 respectively, and theGarden City will host the second Test match starting on Friday, November 27.
Wellington has been awarded the first Test starting on Thursday November 19 at the Cello Basin Reserve, as well as a T20I and ODI to be held at Hnry Stadium.
Auckland’s Eden Park and Hamilton’s Seddon Park have both received a T20I and ODI, while Tauranga’s Bay Oval will host games four and five of the ODI series.
The BlackCaps will then host Sri Lanka in three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Tests in from January 16 and into February to finish the home international summer, with a much anticipated four-Test away tour in Australia scheduled for December and early January.
The women’s team, who are currently in England preparing to defend their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title, will host Bangladesh for three T20Is and three ODIs from December 10 to 23.
The series will be the WhiteFerns only home tour of the summer, with the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy (T20I) in Sri Lanka rescheduled for February, meaning the side’s planned tour of Australia in February-March 2027 will be rescheduled.
The home summer, which could include up to 41 days of international cricket, will be played across eight different cities in New Zealand.
Schedule-
Men’s
India tour of New Zealand
1st T20I – 22 October, Christchurch
2nd T20I – 24 October, Christchurch
3rd T20I – 27 October, Wellington
4th T20I – 30 October, Auckland
5th T20I – 1 November, Hamilton
1st ODI – 4 November, Auckland
2nd ODI – 7 November, Wellington
3rd ODI – 10 November, Hamilton
4th ODI – 13 November, Mount Maunganui
5th ODI – 15 November, Mount Maunganui
1st Test – 19-23 November, Wellington
2nd Test – 27 November-1 December 2026, Christchurch
Sri Lanka Tour of New Zealand
1st ODI – 16 January, Napier
2nd ODI – 19 January, Wellington
3rd ODI – 22 January, Dunedin
1st T20I – 26 January, Christchurch
2nd T20I – 29 January, Nelson
3rd T20I – 31 January, Nelson
1st Test – 4-8 February, Mount Maunganui
2nd Test – 12-16 February, Hamilton
Women’s
Bangladesh Tour of New Zealand
1st T20I – 10 December, Nelson
2nd T20I – 12 December, Nelson
3rd T20I – 15 December, Wellington
1st ODI – 18 December, Wellington
2nd ODI – 21 December, Mount Maunganui
3rd ODI – 23 December, Mount Maunganui
(IANS)
