India open T20I series against New Zealand on October 22

India will begin their five-match T20I series against New Zealand on October 22 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The series runs through November 1, with the first match scheduled to start at 8:00 PM local time, or 12:30 PM IST. India arrive in New Zealand after winning the 2026 T20 World Cup title.

Shreyas Iyer leads the India squad that includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. Mitchell Santner captains New Zealand, with Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Bevan Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner in their squad.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns to the India side after nearly four years. Jacob Duffy, his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate, praised the 36-year-old's skill with the new ball and his ability to swing the ball at an economy rate of 7.95 in IPL 2026. Matches will be broadcast on Sony Sports Network and streamed on SonyLIV.