The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the full schedule and venues for New Zealand's tour of India in January 2026. This tour, comprising both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), is set to be a crucial part of India's preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The BCCI confirmed the schedule during the Apex Council Meeting.
The tour will commence on January 11, 2026, with the first ODI to be held in Baroda at the newly constructed Kotambi Stadium, marking its first men's international match in over 15 years. The stadium has previously hosted three women's ODIs between India and the West Indies, as well as six Women's Premier League (WPL) matches during the 2025 season. The second and third ODIs are scheduled for January 14 and 18 in Rajkot and Indore, respectively. All ODI matches will begin at 1:30 PM IST.
Following the ODI series, the focus will shift to the T20Is. The first T20I will be held in Nagpur on January 21. Subsequent matches will be played in Raipur on January 23, Guwahati on January 25, Visakhapatnam on January 28, and Thiruvananthapuram on January 31. All T20I matches are scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST. This series of T20Is will provide the Indian team, potentially led by Suryakumar Yadav, with an ideal opportunity to fine-tune their strategies and combinations in preparation for the T20 World Cup.
Schedule at a Glance:
In addition to announcing the schedule for the New Zealand tour, the BCCI also finalized the domestic cricket season for 2025-26. The domestic season will commence with the Duleep Trophy on August 28, 2025, at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, with the final scheduled for September 15. The Ranji Trophy, a significant event in Indian domestic cricket, will be held in two phases, from October 15 to November 19 and then from January 22, 2026, to February 1, 2026, with the final set for February 28, 2026. The Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's premier 50-over competition, will begin on December 24, with the final on January 18, to be held across Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Rajkot, and Bengaluru.
Furthermore, the BCCI has introduced structural changes to the domestic season, including a new Plate Group restructuring across all age categories and updated promotion and relegation rules. Tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Senior Women's T20 Trophy will now feature a Super League stage to promote more balanced competition.
