New Delhi: India will host New Zealand in an eight-match limited-overs series starting January 11, 2026, comprising three One-Day Internationals and five Twenty20 Internationals, in what is being seen as a crucial build-up assignment ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

The tour will run until January 31 and is expected to play a significant role in shaping India’s white-ball combinations, especially with the T20 World Cup set to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

ODI focus on senior returns

The ODI leg of the series has generated considerable interest, with senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma likely to return to the 50-over setup after missing the South Africa tour.

India’s ODI squad is expected to assemble in Vadodara on January 7, with the opening match scheduled at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, on January 11. The second and third ODIs will be played in Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18, respectively.

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already announced the T20I squad for the series, the ODI squad is yet to be named. Sources indicate that the national selection committee is likely to meet online around January 3 or 4 to finalise the squad.

T20Is as World Cup dress rehearsal

The five-match T20I series will act as a final testing ground for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side as India fine-tunes combinations, middle-order roles and bowling options ahead of its T20 World Cup title defence. New Zealand, meanwhile, has already announced both its ODI and T20I squads for the tour.

New Zealand ODI squad vs India

  1. Michael Bracewell (Captain)
  2. Adi Ashok
  3. Kristian Clarke
  4. Josh Clarkson
  5. Devon Conway
  6. Zak Foulkes
  7. Mitch Hay
  8. Kyle Jamieson
  9. Nick Kelly
  10. Jayden Lennox
  11. Daryl Mitchell
  12. Henry Nicholls
  13. Glenn Phillips
  14. Michael Rae
  15. Will Young

India squad for T20Is vs New Zealand

  1. Suryakumar Yadav (Captain)
  2. Abhishek Sharma
  3. Sanju Samson
  4. Tilak Varma
  5. Hardik Pandya
  6. Shivam Dube
  7. Axar Patel
  8. Rinku Singh
  9. Jasprit Bumrah
  10. Harshit Rana
  11. Arshdeep Singh
  12. Kuldeep Yadav
  13. Varun Chakaravarthy
  14. Washington Sundar
  15. Ishan Kishan

New Zealand squad for T20Is vs India

  1. Mitchell Santner (Captain)
  2. Michael Bracewell
  3. Mark Chapman
  4. Devon Conway
  5. Jacob Duffy
  6. Zak Foulkes
  7. Matt Henry
  8. Kyle Jamieson
  9. Bevon Jacobs
  10. Daryl Mitchell
  11. James Neesham
  12. Glenn Phillips
  13. Rachin Ravindra
  14. Tim Robinson
  15. Ish Sodhi

Schedule:

India and New Zealand will play a three-match ODI series during the white-ball tour of India in January 2026. The ODI leg will begin on Sunday, January 11, with the series opener scheduled at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, starting at 1.30 pm IST.

The second ODI will be played on Wednesday, January 14, at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Khandheri, Rajkot, followed by the third and final match on Sunday, January 18, at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. All three ODIs are day matches with a 1.30 PM IST start.

The five-match T20I series will commence on Wednesday, January 21, with the opening game at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, starting at 7 pm IST. The action then moves to Raipur on January 23, Guwahati on January 25, and Visakhapatnam on January 28.

The tour will conclude with the fifth T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, January 31, with all T20 matches scheduled as evening fixtures beginning at 7:00 PM IST.