India vs New Zealand 2026 Series

While some are making plans for January, the cricket world lives by its own calendar. A real battle will take place on the pitches of India in the middle of the month. For those who follow sports, it’s more than just games. India vs New Zealand 2026 Series is the first serious test of strength of the year, especially with the World Cup coming up.

India vs New Zealand 2026 Series: Match Schedule

The first ODI of the series will start in Vadodara at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi. This match will set the tone for the entire upcoming campaign. India, led by Shubman Gill, takes to the field to defend the home innings.

The response of the New Zealand visitors, who are trying to acclimatise to the challenging conditions, will be one of the main intrigues of the India vs New Zealand 2026 Series. The outcome of this first meeting will certainly determine the intensity of the confrontation, especially for the second match, scheduled for January 14 in Rajkot.

Three ODI matches:

• January 11: 1st ODI. BCA Stadium, Kotambi (Vadodara). Starts at 13:30 IST.
• January 14: 2nd ODI. Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot. Starts at 1:30 PM IST.
• January 18: 3rd ODI. Holkar Stadium, Indore. Starts at 1:30 PM IST.

All one-day matches begin in the afternoon, which is convenient for spectators in India. After a short break, a veritable marathon of five T20Is begins in the evening.

Five T20I matches:

• January 21: 1-й T20I. Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur.
• January 23: 2-й T20I. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur.
• January 25: 3-й T20I. Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati.
• January 28: 4-й T20I. ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.
• January 31: 5-й T20I. Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.

All T20Is are scheduled to start at 7:00 PM local time. The India tour is extensive, stretching from Guwahati in the northeast to Trivandrum in the south.

India vs New Zealand 2026 Series: Team Squads

Speaking of squads, the picture is interesting and not entirely simple. The ODI and T20I teams are different, plus there are some replacements due to injuries.

India (ODI): Shubman Gill will captain the team. The list of batsmen includes star names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but with a twist. Shreyas Iyer has been named but his participation is dependent on his fitness. Wicketkeepers include K.L. Rahul, with Dhruv Jurel as a reserve, who replaced the injured Rishabh Pant. The all-rounders are a mix of experience and youth: Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Aayush Badoni, who in turn replaced the injured Washington Sundar in the squad. Among the bowlers, the bets are on the pace of Mohammed Siraj, the ability to take wickets in the middle innings of Harshit Rana, as well as Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand (ODI): Michael Bracewell leads the team. Batsmen Will Young and Henry Nicholls are at the top, along with powerful middle order players Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips. Nick Kelly rounds out this group. Wicketkeepers Devon Conway and Mitch Hay. All-rounders Josh Clarkson and Cristiano Clarke provide flexibility. The bowling attack is diverse: from spinner Adi Ashok to Zak Foulkes and Kyle Jamieson, as well as left-handers Jayden Lennox and Michael Ray.

When the series switches to a shorter format, new faces will take to the field.

India (T20I): Suryakumar Yadav is captain, with Akshar Patel as vice-captain. Specialist batsmen include Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Rinkhu Singh, players who can quickly change the score. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan will keep wickets. The team’s strength lies in its all-rounders: besides Akshar Patel, there are Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar, each of whom can turn a match around with either bat or ball. Jasprit Bumrah leads the bowling, assisted by Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, and spin specialist Varun Chakravarthy.

New Zealand (T20I): Mitchell Santner leads the team in this format. Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Nick Kelly, and Tim Robinson provide the striking power in the batting lineup. Devon Conway and Tim Seifert serve as wicketkeepers. The all-rounders section has a truly wide selection of coaches: in addition to captain Santner, there are Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Zak Fulks, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Ish Sodhi. This depth allows for flexible changes in tactics. Specialist bowlers include Kyle Jamieson (listed as a reserve) and Adam Milne.

For both teams, India vs New Zealand 2026 Series will be a key part of their preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which, incidentally, will be held in India and Sri Lanka. So, every match, especially in the short format, is not only a fight for victory in the series, but also a test for the players in conditions as close as possible to tournament conditions.