The India tour of New Zealand in 2026 marks the first full-fledged, all-format series between the two sides since 2019–20. The series is already generating excitement, with tickets sold out for most matches. The tour features 12 matches, including five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Tests.
The tour begins on October 22nd at Hagley Oval in Christchurch and concludes at the same venue on December 1.
Indian Team Milestones to Keep an Eye on in the 1st T20I
- India are set to play their first-ever T20I at Hagley Oval.
- The Indian men’s cricket team will play its 299th T20I, with only Pakistan (304) having played more matches.
- The Indian T20I squad has undergone a major overhaul since the previous tour of New Zealand in 2022. Only Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, and Sanju Samson were part of both squads.
- Tilak Varma needs another 159 runs to complete 2,000 runs in T20Is.
- If selected in the playing XI, Arshdeep Singh will play his 100th T20I, becoming the seventh Indian to reach the milestone after Rohit Sharma (159), Hardik Pandya (138), Virat Kohli (125), Suryakumar Yadav (113), Axar Patel (112), and Jasprit Bumrah (100).
- Arshdeep Singh needs another five wickets to complete 150 wickets in T20Is.
- Ishan Kishan needs another 46 runs to reach the 2,000-run mark in T20Is.
- Kuldeep Yadav needs two more wickets to complete 100 wickets in T20Is.
- If selected in the playing XI, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will bowl for India in a T20I for the first time in 1,430 days.
- If selected in the playing XI, Varun Chakravarthy will play his 50th T20I.
