The Indian cricket season continues with another blockbuster as the Men in Blue gear up to host New Zealand in a high-octane white-ball series in January 2026.
Fresh off an action-packed home series against South Africa, Indian fans are set for more thrills as the Black Caps arrive for a three-match ODI series followed by five T20Is, starting on Sunday, January 11 in Vadodara.
India’s recent home assignment against South Africa delivered contrasting narratives.
While the Proteas stunned the hosts with a dominant 2-0 Test whitewash, India responded emphatically in limited-overs cricket, clinching the ODI series 2-1 before sealing the T20Is 3-1 to reassert their supremacy.
India and New Zealand last crossed swords in white-ball cricket on Indian soil in January 2023.
India swept the ODIs 3-0 and edged the T20I series 2-1, setting a benchmark the Kiwis will be keen to overturn this time around.
Captain Gill returns
One of the biggest storylines of the upcoming series is the return of Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill after recovering from a neck injury.
The Indian captain missed the ODI series against South Africa after he succumbed to a neck injury on the second day of the first Test against the Proteas in Kolkata while attempting a slog sweep off Simon Harmer during India’s first innings.
After a short injury break, Gill will aim to regain his form. The 26-year-old has an impressive record against the Kiwis in the 50-over format.
He has already amassed 623 runs in just 12 ODIs at an outstanding average of 69.22, while also maintaining a superb strike rate of 104.70. He slammed two centuries and two fifties against New Zealand in the ODI cricket.
Clash of momentum and pedigree
New Zealand arrive in India brimming with confidence after a flawless home summer against West Indies.
The Black Caps completed a clean sweep across formats winning the T20Is 3-1, the ODIs 3-0 and the Tests 2-0. Making them a formidable challenge for a Shubman Gill-led Indian side.
Apart from Titans skipper Gill, India’s squad also features a strong Gujarat Titans flavour, with Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Washington Sundar adding depth and balance across departments.
For New Zealand, another dynamic Titan, Glenn Phillips looms large. Known for his explosive batting, sharp fielding and handy bowling, Phillips could prove to be a game-changer in both formats.
Schedule overview
The ODI series gets underway at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium on January 11, before moving to Rajkot’s Niranjan Shah Stadium for the second match on January 14.
The final ODI will be played at Holkar Stadium, Indore, on January 18.
The T20I leg begins on January 21 in Nagpur, with Suryakumar Yadav taking charge of the shortest format.
The action then travels to Raipur (Jan 23), Guwahati (Jan 25), Visakhapatnam (Jan 28), before culminating in a grand finale at Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield International Stadium on January 31.
India vs New Zealand 2026 schedule and live match start times
All times are in India Standard Time (IST)
Day and Date
Match
Venue
Time (IST)
Sunday, January 11
1st ODI
Vadodara International Cricket Stadium, Vadodara
01:30 PM
Wednesday, January 14
2nd ODI
Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
01:30 PM
Sunday, January 18
3rd ODI
Holkar Stadium, Indore
01:30 PM
Wednesday, January 21
1st T20I
Vidarbha International Cricket Stadium, Nagpur
07:00 PM
Friday, January 23
2nd T20I
Nava Raipur International Cricket Stadium, Raipur
07:00 PM
Sunday, January 25
3rd T20I
Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati
07:00 PM
Wednesday, January 28
4th T20I
ACA–VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam
07:00 PM
Sunday, January 31
5th T20I
Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
07:00 PM
India vs New Zealand 2026 squads
India’s ODI squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammded Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
India’s T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
New Zealand’s ODI squad: Michael Bracewell (captain), Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Mitchell Hay, Nick Kelly, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Josh Clarkson, Zak Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Jayden Lennox, Michael Rae
New Zealand’s T20I squad: Mitchell Santner (captain), Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Bevon Jacobs, Tim Robinson, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Zak Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi
Where to watch India vs New Zealand 2026 series live
The India vs New Zealand 2026 series will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network’s TV channels.
Live streaming of the IND vs NZ 2026 series will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.