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Quick answer: The India vs New Zealand T20 series 2026 runs from October 22 to November 1, with five matches in Christchurch (two), Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton. Every game starts at 12:30 PM IST. In India you can watch on the Sony Sports Network or stream on SonyLIV. Shreyas Iyer captains India with Tilak Varma as vice-captain, and Mitchell Santner leads New Zealand.
Indian cricket has barely had a day off this month. Shreyas Iyer's side won Asian Games gold on October 3, started a home T20I series against West Indies three days later, and flies to New Zealand less than a week after that series ends. Here's the full schedule, both squads, the odd lunchtime start, and where to watch.
India vs New Zealand T20 series 2026 schedule
New Zealand Cricket confirmed the dates in June and they haven't changed. All five games are night matches in New Zealand, which is 7.5 hours ahead of India, so they land in the Indian lunch hour.
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | Thursday, October 22 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 12:30 PM |
| 2nd T20I | Saturday, October 24 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 12:30 PM |
| 3rd T20I | Tuesday, October 27 | Hnry Stadium, Wellington | 12:30 PM |
| 4th T20I | Friday, October 30 | Eden Park, Auckland | 12:30 PM |
| 5th T20I | Sunday, November 1 | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 12:30 PM |
Only two games fall on an Indian weekend: Saturday in Christchurch and the Sunday finale in Hamilton. For the other three, plan on watching over lunch. Schedule and timings are as reported by Esquire India and ESPN's fixture list, as of October 11, 2026.
Where to watch IND vs NZ live in India
- TV: Sony Sports Network will show all five matches live.
- Streaming: SonyLIV will stream every match on mobile, web and smart TV apps.
Every big series brings a wave of "free live cricket" links on WhatsApp and Telegram. Many lead to pop-up-heavy pages, fake login screens or APK files you should never install. Stick to the official broadcaster. Our guide to online shopping fraud in India covers the same warning signs.
India T20 squad for the New Zealand tour
The BCCI named a 16-member squad on October 6, reported by IANS:
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.
The big talking points
- Iyer is in charge and in form. He led India to Asian Games gold with a 19-run win over Pakistan in the final, then hit an unbeaten 102 off 42 balls against West Indies in Lucknow on October 6. It was his first T20I hundred.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back. The swing bowler returns after almost four years. His last T20I was also against New Zealand, in Napier in November 2022. Damp New Zealand evenings should suit him.
- Young openers. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Google India's top trending personality of 2025, is in the squad with the explosive Abhishek Sharma.
- Who's missing. Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, all part of the World Cup-winning side in March, aren't in this squad. Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi has also missed out, leaving Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav as the main spinners.
New Zealand T20 squad
New Zealand named 16 players in September: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert and Nathan Smith.
The headline is pace. New Zealand picked seven fast bowlers and 13 players from their World Cup final side. The big absence is Rachin Ravindra, who dislocated his right shoulder at a promotional shoot. He expects to miss about six weeks and is aiming to return for the ODIs.
Form guide: who has the edge?
On paper, India. The two sides met in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad on March 8, 2026, and India won by 96 runs after making 255/5, the highest total ever in a T20 World Cup final. Sanju Samson scored 89 and Bumrah took 4/14. India also beat New Zealand 4-1 in a home T20I series in January.
Home conditions change a lot, though. New Zealand pitches offer bounce and swing under lights, Wellington's wind is famous, and Eden Park's short straight boundaries make 200 feel like a par score. India's last full tour in 2019-20 showed how fast things can turn: they swept the T20Is 5-0, then lost both the ODI and Test series.
India also arrive off a wild home series. After Iyer's hundred in the opener, West Indies chased 250 in Ranchi on October 9 to level it 1-1. That was the second-highest successful chase in men's T20I history, built on a 45-ball century from Shai Hope. The series moves through Indore, Hyderabad and Bengaluru and ends on October 17.
The venues at a glance
- Hagley Oval, Christchurch (matches 1 and 2): A park ground and, by playing area, the largest cricket field in New Zealand. Floodlights only went up in 2020.
- Hnry Stadium, Wellington (match 3): A big, enclosed multi-sport stadium where the wind can play tricks with high catches.
- Eden Park, Auckland (match 4): New Zealand's largest stadium, but a rugby-shaped field with very short straight boundaries. Expect sixes.
- Seddon Park, Hamilton (match 5): A compact ground with grass banks that usually gives good batting pitches.
The rest of India's tour of New Zealand
The T20Is are just the start of a 12-match tour, the biggest bilateral tour New Zealand has ever hosted.
- ODIs: November 4 (Auckland), November 7 (Wellington), November 10 (Hamilton), November 13 and 15 (both Mount Maunganui)
- Tests: November 19 to 23 (Wellington) and November 27 to December 1 (Christchurch), both part of the World Test Championship
The Tests may be the real story. India haven't won a Test series in New Zealand since 2009, and New Zealand beat India 3-0 in India in late 2024. With the 2027 ODI World Cup coming up, the ODIs matter for both sides too.
Fan checklist before October 22
- Set reminders for 12:30 PM IST on October 22, 24, 27, 30 and November 1.
- Make sure your SonyLIV plan or Sony Sports channel pack is active before match day.
- Ignore "free stream" links and APK files shared on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Block your lunch hour for the Thursday, Tuesday and Friday games.
- Watch the West Indies finale in Bengaluru on October 17 for final form clues.
For more cricket, read our earlier pieces on IPL 2026 fan parks and Shami and Pant's IPL 2026 start.
Frequently asked questions
What is the India vs New Zealand T20 series 2026 schedule?
Five matches: October 22 and 24 in Christchurch, October 27 in Wellington, October 30 in Auckland and November 1 in Hamilton. All start at 12:30 PM IST.
What is India's T20 squad list for New Zealand 2026?
Shreyas Iyer captains a 16-man squad with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns, and Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are the wicketkeepers. The full list is in the squad section above.
Where can I watch India vs New Zealand live?
On TV, the matches are on the Sony Sports Network. Online, they stream live on SonyLIV.
Who won the India vs New Zealand T20 World Cup final 2026?
India won by 96 runs in Ahmedabad on March 8, 2026. They made 255/5 and bowled New Zealand out for 159, becoming the first team to win three T20 World Cups.
Is Rachin Ravindra playing the T20 series?
No. He dislocated his right shoulder and has been ruled out of the T20Is. He's aiming to return for the ODI series starting November 4.
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