New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has unveiled its home summer programme, with India set to arrive for a major, multi-format tour running from October 22 to December 1. Beyond the on-field contests, the trip is expected to carry extra weight for India as the build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup gathers pace, while also offering a potential final chance for two of the sport’s biggest names to play in New Zealand in their international careers.
India’s landmark multi-format visit to New Zealand
The tour will feature 12 matches across New Zealand’s five primary venues. India will play five T20 internationals, five ODI contests and two Tests, making it the biggest inbound series in NZC history. It will also be India’s first full tour of New Zealand across all formats since the 2019/20 season, and only the third such visit between the two sides, following the notable 2008/09 and 2019/20 tours.
- India tour dates: from October 22 to December 1.
- Match formats included: five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests.
- Venues involved: matches spread across five major New Zealand centres.
- Historical significance: the largest inbound tour in NZC history.
- India context: first all-format New Zealand tour since 2019/20.
- Rarity factor: only the third all-format India visit to New Zealand, after 2008/09 and 2019/20.
NZC pitches the tour as a “once-in-a-generation” occasion
Alongside the India series, New Zealand’s summer will also include a complete home set against Sri Lanka starting in late January, plus fixtures for the White Ferns. However, NZC Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Glenn Critchley highlighted the India tour as a standout event.
Critchley said the tour’s scale is hard to match in cricket terms, stressing that it should be remembered not just for the matches but also for what it represents culturally and socially between the two nations. He pointed to the expected intensity, noting that the team’s popularity and the likelihood of players such as Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah coming through for the tour will only heighten the occasion.
He further described watching an Indian international match in person as a “bucket-list” experience, urging supporters in New Zealand to secure tickets during the pre-sale window in order to avoid missing out. NZC expects strong demand and believes the fixtures could sell out.
Full itinerary: dates and venues
India’s schedule begins with two T20Is at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, before moving through Tests and limited-overs games across Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. The series concludes with the last two ODIs at Bay Oval in Tauranga.
- 1st T20I: October 22 — Christchurch (Hagley Oval).
- 2nd T20I: October 24 — Christchurch (Hagley Oval).
- 1st Test: November 19–23 — Wellington.
- 3rd T20I: October 27 — Wellington.
- 4th T20I: October 30 — Auckland.
- 5th T20I: November 1 — Hamilton.
- 1st ODI: November 4 — Auckland.
- 2nd ODI: November 7 — Wellington.
- 3rd ODI: November 10 — Hamilton.
- 4th ODI: November 13 — Mount Maunganui.
- 5th ODI: November 15 — Mount Maunganui.
- 2nd Test: November 27 to December 1 — Christchurch.
More specifically, Wellington will stage the first Test along with one T20I and one ODI, while Christchurch will host the second Test. Auckland and Hamilton are each set to receive one T20I and one ODI, and Tauranga’s Bay Oval will welcome the final two ODI matches of the series.
Kohli and Rohit in focus ahead of the 2027 World Cup
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma widely viewed as likely to step away from international cricket after the 2027 ODI World Cup, much of the attention will inevitably centre on their New Zealand appearances. Both players have already exited the shortest and oldest formats of the game at international level, leaving them active in the 50-over format only.
Despite their record-breaking careers and continued output, the pair have not yet received a clear, formal endorsement from India’s current set-up for the 2027 World Cup. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have remained non-committal about the long-term plan, even as Kohli and Rohit have stayed productive during the 2025/26 season. Their involvement in the Vijay Hazare Trophy also underlined their intent and commitment as they continue to prepare for future ODI assignments.
India tour of New Zealand (complete match list)
- 1st T20I – October 22, Christchurch
- 2nd T20I – October 24, Christchurch
- 3rd T20I – October 27, Wellington
- 4th T20I – October 30, Auckland
- 5th T20I – November 1, Hamilton
- 1st ODI – November 4, Auckland
- 2nd ODI – November 7, Wellington
- 3rd ODI – November 10, Hamilton
- 4th ODI – November 13, Mount Maunganui
- 5th ODI – November 15, Mount Maunganui
- 1st Test – November 19-23, Wellington
- 2nd Test – November 27-December 1, Christchurch
