NZ Cricket sets record home summer schedule with India tour

New Zealand Cricket has announced a record-breaking home summer schedule for 2026, headlined by an unprecedented all-format tour by India. The 12-match series, featuring five Twenty20 Internationals, five One-Day Internationals, and two Test matches, will be the largest international tour ever hosted by the board in terms of total fixtures.

The tour begins on October 22 with back-to-back T20Is in Christchurch and concludes with a second Test in the same city starting November 27. The itinerary includes matches across eight cities: Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, and Mount Maunganui. This visit marks India's return to Test cricket in New Zealand for the first time since 2019 and their first white-ball tour of the country since 2022.

An official described the tour as a major event for cricket fans in New Zealand. "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," said Glenn Critchley, New Zealand Cricket's chief marketing and commercial officer. He noted the tour would celebrate the longstanding relationship between the two nations and the growing rivalry on the field, adding that...