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Royal Stag Fan
26 August 2026
If you thought the cricket calendar would finally slow down after the year India has had, think again. The Indian team is packing its bags for New Zealand, and this is not a quick in-and-out trip. For fans who like their cricket in complete doses, this is about as full a series as it gets. Five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, all inside six weeks, and the biggest inbound tour New Zealand Cricket has ever hosted in terms of sheer number of games.
It is only the third time that India are touring New Zealand across all three formats after the 2008–09 and 2019–20 tours. The last time these two sides met was in the final of this year's T20 World Cup, so there is a bit of unfinished business in the air too. Here is everything you need to know about the dates, the venues and the timings, laid out clearly so you never miss a toss:
The tour kicks off with a five-match T20I series, and New Zealand wastes no time throwing India into a run of games across four different cities.
| Match | Date | Venue | Local 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 | Sky 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 |
Once the T20Is wrap up, the tour shifts gear into a five-match ODI series, which is really the headline act here. It is the first time in a while that India are playing this many ODIs on a single tour, and it gives the team a proper runway to test the squad ahead of the next World Cup cycle.
| Match | Date | Venue | Local Time (IST) |
| 1st ODI | Wednesday, November 4 | Eden Park, Auckland | 7:30 AM |
| 2nd ODI | Saturday, November 7 | Sky Stadium, Wellington | 7:30 AM |
| 3rd ODI | Tuesday, November 10 | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 7:30 AM |
| 4th ODI | Friday, November 13 | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | 7:30 AM |
| 5th ODI | Sunday, November 15 | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | 7:30 AM |
The tour ends with a two-match Test series. Both games are set to run the full five days, and the venues could not be more different from each other in character.
| Match | Date | Venue |
| 1st Test | November 19 to 23 | Basin Reserve, Wellington |
| 2nd Test | November 27 to December 1 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
There is more riding on this series than just another set of bilateral fixtures. The five ODIs in particular are being watched closely as an early platform ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, and every performance here will feed straight into selection conversations over the next year. Rohit Sharma, who has stepped away from Tests and T20Is but continues to play the fifty-over format, could have a significant opportunity to build his case for the World Cup with a full-length series in tough New Zealand conditions.
And across the Test format, Jasprit Bumrah remains the player New Zealand's batters could be planning around the most; his ability to swing the new ball and create pressure makes him the one bowler every opposition camp studies first.
New Zealand conditions have historically asked tough questions of visiting batting line-ups, with the moving ball and bouncier pitches rewarding patience over flair. That contrast alone should make this one of the more absorbing tours of the year, regardless of the scoreline.
With the T20Is beginning in the afternoon IST, the ODIs in the morning and the Tests in the early hours, this is a tour that is going to eat into plenty of Indian fans' screen time. Whether you are watching a full day of Test cricket unfold or catching a T20I after work, it helps to have the basics sorted well in advance so nothing pulls you away from the game.
Royal Stag Packaged Drinking Water is backing Team India through this series, standing behind the boys in blue the way the whole nation does — hoping Team India wins large, because Large Humaara Hai.
Frequently Asked Questions
The tour begins on October 22, 2026, with the first T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, and runs through to December 1, 2026.
Twelve matches in total: five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, making it the largest inbound tour by number of games in New Zealand Cricket's history.
The series is spread across 5 venues, namely Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui.
Rohit Sharma could get a significant opportunity in the ODI leg as India build towards the next World Cup cycle, and Jasprit Bumrah remains the spearhead of the bowling attack across the Test format.
