Vadodara to host The first ODI of the three-ODIs vs NZ as international cricket returns for first time in 15 years.
Vadodara is set to host its first men’s international match in more than 15 years during New Zealand’s white-ball tour of India in January 2026.
The tour will begin with the first ODI on January 11 at the recently constructed Kotambi Stadium, which has already played host to three Women’s ODIs between India and the West Indies in December 2024 and six games in the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL).
When Vadodara hosted its final men’s international match, an ODI at the Reliance Stadium in December 2010, New Zealand was also engaged. In that match, Virat Kohli, who is still playing in ODIs despite having retired from T20Is and Tests, scored an undefeated 63, and current India head coach Gautam Gambhir produced a Player-of-the-Match-winning century.
Three ODIs and five T20Is are scheduled to be played during New Zealand’s 2025–2026 tour to India. It is anticipated to be the first encounter between the two teams since India defeated New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in March.
The teams will stay in Gujarat after Vadodara, with Rajkot hosting the second ODI on January 14 and the ODI series ending in Indore on January 18. The tour’s central India leg begins with this match; the first two Twenty20 Internationals will be hosted by Nagpur on January 21 and Raipur on January 23.
Following that, the teams will head east before heading south to wrap up the tour. The third, fourth, and fifth Twenty20 Internationals will be held at Guwahati (January 25), Visakhapatnam (January 28), and Thiruvananthapuram (January 31).
As of right now, these five Twenty20 Internationals may be India’s final matches until the T20 World Cup begins in February or March of 2026. Following the India tour, New Zealand will play three Twenty20 Internationals against Afghanistan.
India, the victors of the 2024 West Indies and USA tournaments, will co-host the 2026 T20 World Cup alongside Sri Lanka.