Forty days, twelve matches, and six grounds across five cities: this tour leaves little room for a quiet week. The India tour of New Zealand 2026 full match schedule begins on October 22 and ends on December 1.
Fans get five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Tests. Below, you will find the whole calendar in one place, split into three clear phases. You will also see where the breaks fall and what else is happening on the side.
All 12 Matches in One Table
Scrolling through five different pages to find one fixture gets old fast. So here is the full list, with local start times and Indian Standard Time side by side.
| No. | Date | Match | Venue | Local / IST |
| 1 | Oct 22 | 1st T20I | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 8:00 PM / 12:30 PM |
| 2 | Oct 24 | 2nd T20I | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 8:00 PM / 12:30 PM |
| 3 | Oct 27 | 3rd T20I | Hnry Stadium, Wellington | 8:00 PM / 12:30 PM |
| 4 | Oct 30 | 4th T20I | Eden Park, Auckland | 8:00 PM / 12:30 PM |
| 5 | Nov 1 | 5th T20I | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 8:00 PM / 12:30 PM |
| 6 | Nov 4 | 1st ODI | Eden Park, Auckland | 3:00 PM / 7:30 AM |
| 7 | Nov 7 | 2nd ODI | Hnry Stadium, Wellington | 3:00 PM / 7:30 AM |
| 8 | Nov 10 | 3rd ODI | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 3:00 PM / 7:30 AM |
| 9 | Nov 13 | 4th ODI | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | 3:00 PM / 7:30 AM |
| 10 | Nov 15 | 5th ODI | Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui | 3:00 PM / 7:30 AM |
| 11 | Nov 19 to 23 | 1st Test | Basin Reserve, Wellington | 11:00 AM / 3:30 AM |
| 12 | Nov 27 to Dec 1 | 2nd Test | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 11:00 AM / 3:30 AM |
Outlook India describes it as the biggest men’s bilateral series ever held in New Zealand. It also celebrates 100 years of sporting ties between the two nations.
Phase One: The T20I Sprint
The tour opens fast. Five T20Is fit inside eleven days, and the teams will barely unpack before the next flight.
Christchurch hosts games one and two. Wellington gets the third, Auckland the fourth, and Hamilton closes the leg. Each match begins at 8:00 PM local time under lights.
Why does this matter? A schedule that moves every two or three days punishes thin squads. Depth in the pace attack becomes the main factor in this phase. New Zealand has already named seven seamers in its T20I group, which hints at how seriously they take that point.
Rachin Ravindra will miss this leg after a shoulder injury. His absence thins the Kiwi batting order, though the squad still has Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, and Tim Seifert.
Phase Two: The ODI Block
Once the T20Is end, the white-ball action continues without a long pause. The ODI block starts on November 4 at Eden Park and runs for twelve days.
Three venues repeat from the first phase: Auckland, Wellington, and Hamilton. Then the series moves to Bay Oval at Mount Maunganui for the last two games, on November 13 and 15.
All five ODIs are day-night games that begin at 3:00 PM local time. For viewers in India, that means a 7:30 AM start. It is a friendly slot for anyone who likes cricket with breakfast.
Bay Oval hosting two games in three days is an unusual detail. If the pitch wears, the second match could look very different from the first. Captains who win the toss in game five may face a tougher decision than usual.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma still play ODIs, so this block is the one where Indian fans have the best chance of seeing both. No squad is confirmed yet, though, and the selectors are expected to meet soon.
Phase Three: The Two Tests
Red-ball cricket arrives last. The first Test begins on November 19 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The second starts on November 27 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch and finishes on December 1.
Play begins at 11:00 AM local time, which is 3:30 AM in India. Most fans will watch the later sessions or wait for highlights.
This is India’s first Test tour of New Zealand since 2019/20. Selectors are weighing Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, and Gurnoor Brar for the pace group, according to current reports. Rishabh Pant is also said to want game time before the Tests.
The Test squad is expected to be a little larger than usual, with 16 or 17 names. A bigger group gives cover for injuries across such a long trip.
Gaps and Rest Days Between Formats
A calendar tells you more when you look at the spaces. Here is how the breaks work out.
| Break | From | To | Free Days |
| T20Is to ODIs | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | 2 |
| ODIs to Tests | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | 3 |
| Between Tests | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | 3 |
The longest gap before the first Test is only three days. For players who move from white-ball cricket to red-ball cricket, that is not much time. A tight turnaround like this explains why the India A matches carry real value.
Smaller gaps exist inside each block too. Between T20Is, teams get two or three days. Between ODIs, the gap is two or three days, except for the double at Bay Oval.
India A Games Running Alongside
India A will play New Zealand A in three four-day unofficial Tests while the main squad plays its white-ball games. Those matches take place at Lincoln and Christchurch.
| Dates | Match | Venue |
| Oct 24 to 27 | 1st unofficial Test | Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln |
| Oct 31 to Nov 3 | 2nd unofficial Test | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
| Nov 7 to 10 | 3rd unofficial Test | Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln |
These games overlap with the T20Is and ODIs. So the India A group will mostly be different players from the white-ball squad, and they act as an early test run for red-ball conditions.
A Quick Look Back at Past Tours
This is only the third all-format visit by India to New Zealand. The earlier ones happened in 2008/09 and 2019/20.
The 2019/20 tour is the more recent memory. India won the five T20Is 5 to 0. New Zealand then won the three ODIs 3 to 0 and the two Tests 2 to 0. The pattern shows how quickly momentum can swing as formats change.
In January 2026, New Zealand toured India and won the ODI series 2 to 1. India answered with a 4 to 1 win in the T20Is. Those results set up a fair fight on New Zealand soil.
Planning Your Viewing Week by Week
Think of the tour as five short chapters. Each one has its own rhythm, so it helps to plan around them.
Week one, from October 22 to 28, brings three T20Is and one India A Test. Lunchtime viewing in India makes this the easiest stretch for office workers. Week two, from October 29 to November 4, holds two more T20Is and the first ODI.
Week three covers November 5 to 11, with two ODIs and the third India A game. Week four, from November 12 to 18, has the final two ODIs at Bay Oval. Then the last two weeks belong to the Tests.
My advice is simple. Pick one week to watch live, and catch up on the rest through highlights. Anyone following the India tour of New Zealand 2026 full match schedule closely will still need a few rest days of their own.
Key Takeaways
- Tour length: 40 days, from October 22 to December 1
- Match count: 12 (five T20Is, five ODIs, two Tests)
- Grounds used: Hagley Oval, Hnry Stadium, Eden Park, Seddon Park, Bay Oval, and the Basin Reserve
- Longest rest before a Test: Three days after the last ODI
- Side games: Three India A unofficial Tests from October 24 to November 10
FAQs
What is the India tour of New Zealand 2026 full match schedule start date?
The first match is the opening T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 22.
Which city hosts the last match of the tour?
Christchurch hosts the final match, the second Test, which ends on December 1.
How many days does the tour last?
The tour lasts about forty days from the first T20I to the end of the second Test.
Will India play any warm-up games?
India A will play three unofficial Tests against New Zealand A, but they overlap with the white-ball series.
Where can fans see the Tests in India time?
Both Tests start at 3:30 AM IST each day.
Conclusion
The India tour of New Zealand 2026 full match schedule is long, busy, and well structured. T20Is come first, ODIs follow, and the Tests wrap up the trip in early December. Save the dates, check the timings for your own city, and be ready for a very full cricket calendar.
