India and New Zealand are set to face off in a highly anticipated white-ball series in January 2026. This bilateral contest will serve as an important lead-up to the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to take place later that year. The series will be hosted in India and will feature a total of eight matches—three One Day Internationals (ODIs) followed by five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Both sides will look to fine-tune their squads and strategies in this tightly packed tour that promises to deliver high-quality cricketing action.
The series begins on January 11, 2026, and concludes on January 30, 2026. The three ODIs will be played first, allowing both teams to assess form and combinations in the 50-over format. These ODIs will not be part of any ICC championship but will serve as crucial preparation ahead of a busy year for international cricket. Following the ODIs, attention will shift to the shorter format with five T20I matches lined up across different venues in India.
Although the exact cities and stadiums have yet to be officially confirmed, several likely candidates have emerged based on past scheduling and logistical considerations. Cities like Guwahati, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Indore, Thiruvananthapuram, Rajkot, Mohali, and Jaipur are among those being considered to host the matches. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) typically aims to rotate fixtures across multiple venues to allow fans from various parts of the country to witness international cricket live.
This series is not just about bilateral bragging rights—it will be one of the final few opportunities for both teams to finalise their combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February and March 2026. With the World Cup looming, both India and New Zealand are expected to field near full-strength squads while also experimenting with fringe players who are in contention for final selection.
The last time these two teams met in a major white-ball clash was during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, where India defeated New Zealand in a closely fought contest. That match will be fresh in the minds of players and fans alike, adding an extra layer of narrative to this upcoming series. New Zealand will be keen to set the record straight, while India will look to continue their recent dominance in home conditions.
From a team management perspective, India will likely use this series to assess the fitness and form of key players while testing bench strength. Players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rinku Singh could be given prominent roles in the T20Is. For New Zealand, adapting to spin-friendly Indian pitches will be a key focus, and experienced campaigners such as Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, and Mitchell Santner will have to guide a mix of youth and experience through the subcontinental challenges.
With matches spread across different geographies and surfaces, this tour will test both adaptability and consistency. It also provides cricket fans with nearly three weeks of uninterrupted action featuring two of the most competitive teams in world cricket. As preparations for the T20 World Cup intensify, the India vs New Zealand 2026 series is not just another bilateral tour—it’s a critical precursor to a global cricketing spectacle.