New Zealand Tour of India: BCCI releases the schedule for 2026 white-ball series

The BCCI completed some significant tasks in the recently held apex council meeting. The board met to mull over the unfortunate Bengaluru stampede that followed RCB's historic IPL 2025 victory. An immediate celebration in the city, just a day after the maiden title win, led to chaos around Chinnaswamy Stadium, costing the lives of over 10 people. The event called for introspection, as the BCCI has now formed a three-member panel to draft guidelines for victory celebrations by teams hereafter. Furthermore, the board released the schedule for India's domestic season and the New Zealand tour of India.

Schedules for the upcoming domestic season and New Zealand Tour of India out

The BCCI has rolled out the official itinerary for the white-ball series against New Zealand at home. While the camp is currently gearing up for the India vs England Test series, the upcoming season serves as a crucial prelude to an exciting white-ball stretch. The year 2026 features the T20 World Cup, an event where India will enter as the defending champions. Meanwhile, the New Zealand tour of India will closely precede the all-important ICC tournament.

During its 28th Apex Council Meeting, the BCCI confirmed that the tour will comprise a total of eight matches, three ODIs and five T20Is, scheduled to kick off on January 11, 2026. The T20I segment, to be captained by Suryakumar Yadav, is set to run from January 21 to January 31, 2026. With the T20 World Cup slated for February-March across India and Sri Lanka, this series will serve as the Indian team’s final on-field preparation before the marquee event.

The action will begin with a three-match ODI series. Veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have stepped away from Tests and T20Is, are likely to feature in these 50-over games. Baroda will host the opener on January 11, followed by the second ODI in Rajkot on January 14, and the final match in Indore on January 18. The five-match T20I series begins in Nagpur on January 21. The second T20I will be played in Raipur on January 23, while Guwahati will stage the third clash on January 25. The tour concludes with two back-to-back games in Vizag and Trivandrum, scheduled for January 28 and 31 respectively.

New Zealand Tour of India 

Additionally, the BCCI also finalized the domestic cricket calendar for the 2025-26 season. The schedule opens with the Duleep Trophy on August 28, 2025, and will wrap up with the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal Multi-Day Trophy on April 3, 2026. The Ranji Trophy, India’s premier first-class competition, will unfold in two phases from October 15 through February 28. This season introduces a refreshed structure, incorporating promotion and relegation for one team from the Plate Group, aiming to elevate competitiveness across the board.