New Zealand Set To Tour India for White-Ball Series

The New Zealand cricket team will tour India for a white-ball series in January 2026. The tour will include a total of eight matches. These matches will consist of three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). This tour is seen as a great opportunity for both teams to prepare for the upcoming ICC tournaments.
According to a report of the Times of India (TOI), the New Zealand tour of India 2026 will begin on January 11 and end on January 30. The dates are almost final, but the venues have not been decided yet. It will be decided by the BCCI in the future.
The main goal of this tour is preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will also be hosted in India. Playing in Indian conditions before the World Cup will give New Zealand a good chance to adapt. For India, the matches will help in finalizing their best squad for the tournament.

New Zealand Tour of India 2026

The five T20I matches in the New Zealand Tour of India 2026 will be especially important. That will give both teams a chance to test their players in similar conditions to what they will face during the T20 World Cup in the same country. Both New Zealand and India have some of the best T20 players in the world, and it will be a fascinating series to watch.
The three ODIs in the series also hold importance. These games will help both teams prepare and plan for the ODI World Cup 2027, which will be hosted in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. Although the World Cup is still far away, every match gives selectors and coaches more data to pick the right team.

This tour is very important for both India and New Zealand. For India, it is a chance to test their bench strength and try out new players. For New Zealand, it is a golden opportunity to understand Indian pitches and conditions before the T20 World Cup. The tour will also give fans exciting matches between two strong teams. Both sides have talented batters, quality fast bowlers, and smart spinners.

The IND vs NZ 2026 T20Is will likely be high-scoring and entertaining, while the ODIs will test consistency and planning. While the venues for this IND vs NZ 2026 series are yet to be announced, the tour is almost confirmed. Fans can expect eight competitive matches in January 2026. With the T20 World Cup just months away after this tour, every match will be closely followed. Both India and New Zealand will aim to find the right balance in their squads and start the new year on a winning note.

No Test Matches On This Tour

As of now, no Test matches are planned during this tour. The tour is focused only on white-ball cricket ODIs and T20Is. However, there is still a chance that this could change. The BCCI and New Zealand Cricket may consider adding Tests later, depending on scheduling and player availability.

However, India and New Zealand will play a Test series during October-November 2025. This series will be played in New Zealand and thus will be an away series for India. India haven't won a Test series in New Zealand since 2009 and will be aiming to break the deadlock.
The last time New Zealand toured India was in 2024. During that visit, the Black Caps made history by clean-sweeping India 3-0 in a Test series. It was a shocking result for Indian fans. The series loss pushed India further from the race for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final.