New Zealand to visit India for 8-match white-ball tour in January 2026: Reports 

New Zealand are primed to tour India for a white-ball series ahead of the crucial 2026 T20 World Cup. The Blackcaps last toured India in the second half of 2024, but only for a red-ball series, which they ended up winning by a 3-0 margin in ruthless fashion.

According to a report by the Times of India, the tour is likely to begin from January 11, and includes three ODIs and five T20Is. The Blackcaps have an all-format series scheduled against the West Indies to close out the current year as part of their home season, following which they will tour the subcontinent.

The white-ball matches against New Zealand will also serve as preparation for the Men in Blue during the build-up to the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka during the 2026 February-March window. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side also have matches lined up with South Africa and Australia towards the end of the year as part of the road to the tournament.

India and New Zealand recently faced each other in the 2025 Champions Trophy Final in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a clash that Rohit Sharma and co. won at the Dubai International Stadium. The Men in Blue became the first-ever three-time winners of the competition, while the Blackcaps' wait for white-ball silverware continued.

New Zealand last toured India for a white-ball series in 2023

The Blackcaps last visited India for a white-ball series in early 2023, where they played three T20Is and three ODIs. The visitors had a rough time in the subcontinent as they were whitewashed in the ODI series, and squandered a 1-0 lead in the T20I series to eventually lose 2-1. Their sole win in the entire tour was a 21-run win in the first T20I at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.

New Zealand have a torrid white-ball record against the Men in Blue in recent times. They have won only one out of the last eight T20Is against them, while they are on a seven-match losing run when it comes to ODIs. Their last ODI win over India came in 2022, while their last win in India came in 2017.