INDIA’S MEN’S TEAM will tour New Zealand from October 22 to December 1, playing five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Tests, which is the most internationals scheduled for an inbound tour in New Zealand Cricket history.
The White Ferns will host Bangladesh for three T20Is and three ODIs from December 10 to 23, their only home series of the summer, with their planned Australia tour rescheduled following the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy (T20I) in Sri Lanka, which was moved to February.
New Zealand will also host Sri Lanka in three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Tests in late January and February, while the Blackcaps are scheduled for a four-Test tour of Australia in December and early January.
The India tour coincides with 100 years of sporting ties between the two countries and marks the return of Sky New Zealand as host broadcaster under a new six-season partnership with New Zealand Cricket.
NZC Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Glenn Critchley said, “It’s going to be another exciting summer, and we’re delighted to be able to bring 42 days of international cricket to Kiwi cricket fans across eight cities. We know how much the Blackcaps and White Ferns love playing in front of their home crowd, and I’m sure the New Zealand public will get out in force to support them. When it comes to cricket, it simply doesn’t get bigger than India, and we’re determined to deliver New Zealanders a tour like no other. 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. Experiencing the noise, colour, and atmosphere of an Indian cricket international is a bucket-list event, and I’d encourage the Kiwi public to take up the opportunity to witness it first-hand. We’re expecting all of these games to sell out – so we’re urging fans to register for their tickets during the pre-sale window to avoid disappointment.”
The two sides have built a strong rivalry in recent years. New Zealand upset India in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final and the 2021 World Test Championship Final, while India has won the past three ICC knockout meetings: the 2023 Cricket World Cup semi-final, the 2024 Champions Trophy Final, and the ICC T20 World Cup Final in Ahmedabad in March.
Off the ICC stage, New Zealand whitewashed India 3-0 in a home Test series in 2024 and won their first-ever ODI series in India 2-1 in January this year.
Sky’s Head of Sports Content Gary Burchett said, “Team India is the biggest show in world cricket, so this is a brilliant way to begin Sky’s new era with New Zealand Cricket and our renewed coverage of the Blackcaps and White Ferns. This tour has scale, colour, noise, and genuine sporting theatre. Our job is to meet that moment with expert coverage, strong storytelling and a broadcast experience that reflects the size of the occasion.”
India Tour (October 22 – December 1)
- Christchurch: T20Is on October 22 and 24; second Test from November 27
- Wellington: first Test from November 19; one T20I and ODI
- Auckland and Hamilton: one T20I and ODI each
- Tauranga: ODIs four and five
- Bangladesh Tour (December 10–23)
- Nelson: T20Is on December 10 and 12
- Wellington: T20I on December 15; first ODI on December 18
- Tauranga: ODIs on December 21 and 23
- Sri Lanka Tour (late January – February)
- Napier, Wellington, Dunedin: ODIs
- Christchurch: T20I on January 26; Nelson: T20Is on January 29 and 31
- Tauranga: first Test from February 4; Hamilton: second Test from February 12
