New Zealand Cricket: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Tuesday confirmed that they will host India A for preparatory four-day matches, starting in October, before the two sides lock horns in a two-match Test series.
India will be touring New Zealand for a multi-format series from late October to early December, with five T20Is, five ODIs and two Test matches lined up. The tour will also feature three four-day games against India 'A', as confirmed by NZC in a release while announcing the schedule for the Plunket Shield.
"The domestic red ball summer will also get an injection of international class as New Zealand A host India A for three four-day matches in Christchurch starting October 24," NZC said in a statement.
It confirmed the announcement of the domestic First-class competition, which will begin on November 19 and run till March 29, with a stoppage in between for the Super Smash and Ford Trophy.
The three multi-day fixtures between New Zealand A and India A will run simultaneously with the white-ball tour. While the exact dates have not been revealed by NZC, the board stated that the three four-dayers will begin on October 24.
New Zealand will be hosting India in what will be the largest international tour in New Zealand cricket history. The white-ball tour will begin on October 22 with T20Is, with the next four matches followed on October 24, 27, 30 and November 1. The ODIs will begin on November 4, 7, 10, 13 and 15. The two Tests will be played from November 19-23 at Wellington and from November 37 to December 1 at Christchurch.
The tour will also mark the first time since 2019 that India will play Test cricket in New Zealand, and their first white-ball assignment in the country since 2022.
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
2nd Test - 27 November-1 December 2026, Christchurch