With the senior side occupied by white-ball cricket against Afghanistan and at the Asian Games this month, India's red-ball preparation for New Zealand is being handled by a different squad entirely. India A will play three four-day matches against New Zealand A between October 24 and November 10 — the tour group's only red-ball cricket before the senior team's Test series begins.
The three four-day games run: October 24-27 at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, October 31-November 3 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, and November 7-10 back at Bert Sutcliffe Oval. It's a compact, deliberately spaced block — three matches over roughly three weeks, giving both squads time to rotate players and assess form without the fixtures bunching up.
India's senior team is scheduled for a separate white-ball leg in New Zealand — five T20Is and five ODIs between October 22 and November 15 — meaning the two India squads will effectively be on New Zealand soil at overlapping times but focused on entirely different formats. That split lets India field its white-ball first-choice players in the T20Is and ODIs while giving red-ball hopefuls and India A regulars genuine first-class match practice on New Zealand surfaces, rather than a short optional camp.
The purpose becomes clear once the senior team's Test dates are added in: India's two-Test World Test Championship series against New Zealand starts with the first Test in Wellington from November 19-23, followed by the second Test in Christchurch from November 27-December 1. Playing three four-day games on New Zealand pitches in the six weeks before that series is about as direct a preparation block as red-ball touring squads get, and it mirrors the kind of lead-in India has used before touring tricky seam-and-swing conditions.
Squads for the India A leg haven't been confirmed yet, but the timing suggests selectors will use these matches to finalise the Test squad's bowling attack and middle-order options before the Wellington Test. Given how competitive this year's Duleep Trophy has been — with South Zone and East Zone now set to contest the final in Chennai — there's no shortage of red-ball form for selectors to weigh when that India A squad is picked.
More squad news will follow closer to October. Track India's full international calendar on SportGod's live matches page, and check AI predictions once the New Zealand tour gets underway.
Fixture dates, venues and the connection to India's WTC Test series are verified against same-day reporting on the schedule announcement, current as of September 2, 2026.
Try Sport God AI live
Live scores, AI predictions, and fantasy — free during IPL 2026.