India tour of New Zealand 2026

Tour Overview

India tour New Zealand from 22 October to 1 December 2026 for five T20 Internationals, five One Day Internationals and two Tests, played at six grounds in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui. New Zealand Cricket describes it as one of the biggest tours in a generation and the largest inbound tour in its history by number of matches. The series also marks 100 years of sporting ties between the two countries.

For a travelling fan, that adds up to six weeks of cricket in a country made for road trips. You can start with floodlit T20Is in Christchurch, follow the ODIs up the North Island, and finish with two Tests, one in Wellington and one back in Christchurch.

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About the Tournament

This is a bilateral tour rather than a knockout event, and it moves through the formats in order. The five T20Is come first, from 22 October to 1 November. The five ODIs follow from 4 to 15 November, and the two Tests close the tour on 19 to 23 November and 27 November to 1 December.

Local start times differ by format. The T20Is begin at 8:00 PM, the ODIs at 3:00 PM and the Tests at 11:00 AM, all in New Zealand daylight time. Those slots make the T20Is true evening matches under lights, while the ODIs and Tests are played in the daytime. New Zealand Cricket has said it hopes to sell more than 150,000 tickets across the tour.

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Tournament History

India and New Zealand have a long cricketing relationship, and recent results have gone both ways. When India last toured in 2019-20, India won the T20I series 5-0, while New Zealand answered by winning the ODI series 3-0 and the Test series 2-0. It was India's first ODI whitewash in 30 years.

New Zealand then swept India 3-0 in a Test series in India in 2024-25, and India won the 2026 T20 World Cup on home soil, beating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final. This is India's first Test tour of New Zealand since 2019-20, and it comes with both sides carrying a recent result to settle.

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Host Nation

New Zealand

New Zealand is compact, scenic and built around the outdoors, and cricket here sits alongside rugby as a summer fixture. The tour covers five cities across both islands, from Christchurch in the South Island to Auckland and the Bay of Plenty in the North Island. Distances are short by international standards, so most fans move between matches by domestic flight or a scenic drive.

October and November are spring. Expect changeable weather, with mild days, cool evenings and the chance of wind and showers, so bring layers and a rain jacket. Daylight saving time begins in late September. The currency is the New Zealand dollar, English and Maori are widely used, and many visitors need a visa or a New Zealand electronic travel authority, so check requirements for your passport before you book.

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Schedule & Key Dates

The tour opens on Thursday 22 October with the first T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, followed by the second there on 24 October. The series then moves to Wellington on 27 October, Auckland on 30 October and Hamilton on Sunday 1 November.

The ODIs begin at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday 4 November, then go to Wellington on 7 November, Hamilton on 10 November and Mount Maunganui on 13 and 15 November. The first Test runs from Thursday 19 to Monday 23 November at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, and the second from Friday 27 November to Tuesday 1 December at Hagley Oval.

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Venues & Host Cities

Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Hagley Oval opens the tour and hosts the second Test. It is the largest cricket ground in New Zealand, at 149 metres by 149 metres, with a base capacity of 9,000 that can be expanded to 18,000. It staged its first Test in December 2014, New Zealand's first in Christchurch since the 2011 earthquake, and six 49-metre lighting towers installed in 2020 make it the only broadcast-quality floodlit ground in the South Island. The oldest cricket pavilion in the country, the Umpires' Pavilion from 1864, sits beside the ground in Hagley Park, next to Christchurch's botanic gardens.

Hnry Stadium, Wellington

Wellington's stadium, known locally as the Cake Tin, opened in January 2000 and holds about 34,500. It was known as Sky Stadium until Hnry took the naming rights in March 2026. It has staged white-ball internationals since its first ODI in 2000, and it hosted a 2015 World Cup quarter-final between New Zealand and West Indies. It hosts the third T20I on 27 October and the second ODI on 7 November.

Eden Park, Auckland

Eden Park is New Zealand's national stadium, opened in 1900 and set up for around 42,000 for cricket. It staged its first Test in 1930 and, in 2018, the first day-night Test in New Zealand, when England were bowled out for 58. It hosts the fourth T20I on 30 October and the first ODI on 4 November. Auckland offers the Sky Tower, the harbour and ferry rides to Waiheke Island.

Seddon Park, Hamilton

Seddon Park holds about 10,000 and has a village-green feel, and a picnic atmosphere for spectators. India were the visitors when it staged its first ODI in 1981, and its pitches are usually good for batting. Kane Williamson made 251 here against West Indies in 2020. It hosts the fifth T20I on 1 November and the third ODI on 10 November, and Hamilton Gardens are a short trip from the ground.

Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Bay Oval sits in Blake Park at the foot of Mauao and holds 10,000. It hosted its first Test in November 2019, when New Zealand beat England by an innings and 65 runs, and Rachin Ravindra made a Test-best 240 there in 2024. It stages the fourth and fifth ODIs on 13 and 15 November, and the beach and the walk up Mauao are the local draws.

Basin Reserve, Wellington

The Basin Reserve is the oldest first-class cricket ground in New Zealand and the only one with heritage listing. It holds about 6,800 and staged its first Test in 1930. New Zealand made their highest total there, 680 for 8 declared, against India in 2014, and its Museum Stand houses the New Zealand Cricket Museum. It hosts the first Test from 19 November, and Wellington's waterfront and Te Papa museum are within easy reach.

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The Teams

India

India arrive as the reigning T20 World Cup champions, and they have not toured New Zealand for a Test series since 2019-20. Squads for this tour had not been named at the time of writing, so expect separate white-ball and Test groups to be announced closer to the series.

New Zealand

The Black Caps are strong on home pitches, where seam and swing hold up across a long summer. They swept India 3-0 in the Tests in India in 2024-25, and they beat India in the 2021 World Test Championship final. Like India, they are yet to name a squad for this tour.

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Why Attend

A tour this long lets you choose the kind of cricket you want. Floodlit T20Is suit fans who like a party atmosphere, ODIs in spring sunshine suit families, and the two Tests suit those who want to see how the sides handle sustained seam bowling. Indian fans travel in large numbers, so the stands are lively at almost every ground.

Ground capacities are modest, at 6,800 to 42,000, so you are close to the action, and the settings are memorable, from the Christchurch parkland to the foot of Mount Maunganui.

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Planning Your Trip

Auckland is the main international gateway, with connections to Wellington, Christchurch and Tauranga. Match days fall two or three days apart, so most fans can fit in a city break between fixtures. Book accommodation early in host cities on match days, pack layers, and allow for changeable weather. The schedule is long, so many fans choose one leg, such as the T20Is in the south, the ODIs in the north or the two Tests, rather than the full tour.

CrickBuster builds India tour of New Zealand 2026 trips around guaranteed official match tickets in general and hospitality seating, with stadium transfers, airport transfers, accommodation and flights arranged for you. Packages can also include excursions and sightseeing in each host city, plus meet-and-greet and fan experiences where they are offered.