India’s schedule for historic New Zealand tour announced:12 matches in 40 days, Men in Blue set for their biggest NZ visit

New Zealand are set to welcome India as part of the largest men’s bilateral cricket series ever held in the country this fall, between October and November. In the buildup to the 2027 ODI World Cup, the Shubman Gill-led Indian side will feature in five ODIs on the tour between November 4 and 15 across four venues. It’s worth noting that it’ll be Team India’s biggest tour to New Zealand, comprising 12 matches in a span of 40 days. The mega cricket tour will kick-start on October 22, shortly after India’s home series against the West Indies with five T20Is. It’s worth noting that it is an all-format tour that will end with two Test matches. These red-ball games will also be part of both teams’ ICC World Test Championship final qualification hopes. India set to play Test cricket in New Zealand after 7 years The importance of the New Zealand tour of India can be understood by the fact that it will be the first time since 2019 that the Men in Blue will battle New Zealand in Test cricket. Meanwhile, it will be their first white-ball assignment in the country since 2022. “The hosts will face India in five T20Is, five ODIs and two Test matches, with the 12-game itinerary set to become the largest international tour in the history of New Zealand Cricket in terms of the total number of matches,” the ICC said in its statement. Men in Blue will be playing 17 ODIs in the 2026 calendar year Team India will play 17 ODIs before the end of the 2026 calendar year. Their immediate assignment begins in the home series against Afghanistan, starting Saturday with a one-off Test in Mullanpur. It will be followed by three ODIs, which will be played in Dharamshala, Lucknow and Chennai between June 13 and 20. After that, India have white-ball tours scheduled in Ireland and England. Both of these series will encompass seven T20Is and three ODIs. Also Read: How IPL’s most expensive players performed in 2026: Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah flopped, Shreyas Iyer excelled Tour to celebrate 100 years of sporting ties between New Zealand and India The mega tour of India is a milestone in India-NZ cricketing bond as the host government will be celebrating 100 years of sporting ties between the two nations. NZC Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, Glenn Critchley, said, “This will be about more than just the cricket on the field – it will be a celebration of New Zealand’s shared history and culture with India, and our burgeoning rivalry and friendship through cricket.” “The passion and the following this team has is staggering – not to mention some of the players expected to tour, such as Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah – so we’re bracing for the intensity and fandom that will accompany the tour’, he added. New Zealand clinched a historic win in India this year In January 2026, New Zealand registered their first ever ODI series win (2-1) in India. Before that, the Black Caps whitewashed India at home in a three-match Test series. However, in the ICC tournaments, Team India still holds the edge. Men in Blue secured win over NZ in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, the 2024 ICC Champions’ Trophy Final in Dubai, and recently in the ICC T20 World Cup Final in Ahmedabad in March.