The 1st IND vs NZ T20 international is today, Thursday 22 October 2026, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. It starts at 12:30 PM IST, with the toss at about 12:00 PM IST. In India you can watch it on the Sony Sports Network TV channels or stream it on the SonyLIV app and website, which carry all 12 matches of the tour.
It's the first of five T20Is and the first time the two teams have met since India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the T20 World Cup final in March. India also have a new captain: Shreyas Iyer has taken over from Suryakumar Yadav. Below you'll find the full viewing guide, a Hindi section on streaming, both squads, pitch notes and a results table that we'll fill in after each match.
Result status: when we published, the 1st T20I hadn't finished and no result had been posted. For live updates, check the ESPNcricinfo live scorecard. We'll add the result to the table below once it's official.
IND vs NZ T20 today: quick facts
| Detail | 1st T20I |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday, 22 October 2026 |
| Venue | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
| Start time (IST) | 12:30 PM (8:00 PM local NZ time) |
| Toss | Around 12:00 PM IST |
| TV channel (India) | Sony Sports Network |
| Live streaming (India) | SonyLIV app and website |
| Captains | Shreyas Iyer (India), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand) |
IND vs NZ live streaming and TV channel in India
Sony holds the rights for India's tour of New Zealand. That gives you two options:
- TV: Sony Sports Network channels, through your DTH or cable provider.
- Online: the SonyLIV app (Android, iOS, smart TVs) and the SonyLIV website. SonyLIV is streaming every match of the tour: 5 T20Is, 5 ODIs and 2 Tests.
Is it free in India? We couldn't find a confirmed free, legal way to watch in India, so be careful with any site that promises one. Pirate streams often carry malware and phishing pop-ups. If a "free match link" asks for card details or OTPs, you're being scammed. Our guide to the 1930 cyber fraud helpline explains how to report it.
Where to watch outside India
| Country | Broadcaster / platform |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | Sky Sport, Sport Nation, The ACC. Wisden says NZC's TikTok will stream matches free in NZ. |
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports |
| USA | Willow (also on Sling) |
| Australia | Fox Cricket and Kayo |
One summary said Three/ThreeNow would show the 1st T20I free in New Zealand. We couldn't confirm that, so check local listings before you rely on it.
न्यूज़ीलैंड बनाम भारत लाइव स्ट्रीम कहां देखें? (Hindi)
भारत बनाम न्यूज़ीलैंड पहला T20 मैच आज, 22 अक्टूबर को दोपहर 12:30 बजे (IST) शुरू होगा। टॉस लगभग 12:00 बजे होगा। मैच क्राइस्टचर्च के हैगली ओवल में खेला जा रहा है।
- टीवी पर: Sony Sports Network के चैनल
- मोबाइल/ऑनलाइन: SonyLIV ऐप और वेबसाइट
- फ्री में? भारत में फ्री लाइव स्ट्रीमिंग का कोई पक्का आधिकारिक विकल्प नहीं मिला। फर्जी "फ्री लिंक" से बचें।
सीरीज़ के सभी पांच T20 मैच भारतीय समय के अनुसार दोपहर 12:30 बजे शुरू होंगे।
Full T20I schedule and results (updated after each match)
All five T20Is start at 12:30 PM IST. Bookmark this page, because we'll add each result here.
| Match | Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | Thu, 22 Oct | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | Match in progress / result to be updated |
| 2nd T20I | Sat, 24 Oct | Christchurch | Upcoming |
| 3rd T20I | Tue, 27 Oct | Wellington | Upcoming |
| 4th T20I | Fri, 30 Oct | Auckland | Upcoming |
| 5th T20I | Sun, 1 Nov | Hamilton | Upcoming |
Rest of the tour: ODIs and Tests
- 5 ODIs: 4–15 November, 7:30 AM IST. Venues are Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga (two matches).
- 1st Test: Wellington, 19–23 November, 3:30 AM IST.
- 2nd Test: Christchurch, 27 November–1 December, 3:30 AM IST.
- Captaincy: Shubman Gill leads India in the first three ODIs and both Tests, and Iyer takes the last two ODIs. Mitchell Santner captains New Zealand in the T20Is and ODIs.
Squads: India vs New Zealand
India T20I squad (ভারত জাতীয় ক্রিকেট দল)
India named this 16-man squad on 6 October:
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
Key changes:
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back, in line for his first T20I since November 2022.
- Varun Chakaravarthy returns after recovering from a side strain.
- Jasprit Bumrah is rested and is only in the Test squad. That means he won't play in the T20Is.
- Hardik Pandya is injured and is out of the series.
- Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar are left out.
Without Bumrah and Hardik, India's attack depends on Arshdeep, Bhuvneshwar, the two Yadav quicks and the spin of Varun, Kuldeep and Axar. The confirmed playing XI comes out at the toss, around 12:00 PM IST.
New Zealand team news
- Rachin Ravindra is out of the T20Is with a shoulder injury and could return for the ODIs.
- Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes are also unavailable.
- Finn Allen returns at the top of the order.
- Previews also name Tim Seifert, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson, with Mitchell Santner as captain.
Why is Shreyas Iyer captain and where is Suryakumar Yadav?
This is the story behind a lot of today's searches. Iyer replaced Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain in early June 2026. ESPN reported it on 4 June and Wikipedia records the date as 6 June. Suryakumar wasn't just replaced as captain. He was left out of the squad after a poor run: 242 runs at 30.25 in the T20 World Cup and 270 runs at 20.76 in IPL 2026.
Reports describe it as the first time a captain who had just won a world title was dropped for his team's next series. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said the change was planned with two events in mind: the 2028 T20 World Cup, which Australia and New Zealand will co-host, and cricket's return at the LA 2028 Olympics. Tilak Varma is Iyer's deputy.
The IPL-era shake-ups have reached the franchises too. See our pieces on Yuvraj Singh joining Delhi Capitals as assistant batting coach and the Rohit Sharma Mumbai Indians captaincy report and denial.
World Cup final rematch: head-to-head and recent form
The two teams last met in the T20 World Cup final on 8 March 2026 in Ahmedabad. India made 255/5, with Sanju Samson scoring 89 off 46 balls, and bowled New Zealand out for 159 in 19 overs to win by 96 runs. Bumrah took 4/15 and was Player of the Match.
Earlier, in January 2026, India beat New Zealand 4-1 in a home T20I series. In the 5th match in Thiruvananthapuram on 31 January, India scored 271/5 and won by 46 runs. Ishan Kishan made 103 off 43 balls and Arshdeep Singh took 5/51. Suryakumar was Player of the Series, which makes his absence now even more striking.
Since then, both sides have had short series cut off by rain. India drew 2-2 with West Indies at home and New Zealand drew 1-1 with Bangladesh, and both deciders were washed out.
IND vs NZ T20I head-to-head
- Overall: 31 T20Is played. Outlook and India.com put it at India 19 wins, New Zealand 11, 1 tie. Yahoo lists India on 17 wins, so the sources don't agree on the exact split. Either way, India lead clearly.
- In New Zealand (Outlook): 12 played, India 6, New Zealand 5, 1 tie. That's much closer than the overall record.
Hagley Oval pitch report and conditions
- T20Is played: 15.
- Average first-innings score: 161.
- Highest total: 236/4.
- Top run-scorer at the venue: Devon Conway, 332 runs with a best of 99*.
Previews expect the fresh surface to help the fast bowlers early, especially under lights with the 8:00 PM local start. Dew is likely to matter later in the evening, which could make chasing easier, so whoever wins the toss may choose to bowl first. Santner has said the 2nd T20I on 24 October will be played on the same pitch, so how it behaves today matters for Saturday as well.
The average first-innings score of 161 is low for two teams who have both made 250+ against each other this year. On a fresh Christchurch pitch with early movement, a score around 180 could be a good total.
What to watch for in the 1st T20I
- Iyer's first big away test as captain. Bowling changes and field settings without Bumrah will be watched closely.
- Bhuvneshwar's swing. If the pitch helps pace early, he and Arshdeep are the obvious new-ball pair.
- India's top order. Abhishek Sharma, Samson, Kishan and teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are competing for the top spots.
- Finn Allen and Conway. New Zealand's best chance is a fast start against a changed Indian attack, and Conway has scored more runs at Hagley than anyone.
Elsewhere in Indian cricket, the women's team has been busy too. Read about Shafali Verma's 55 against Zimbabwe in the 2nd T20I. If you're a fan planning to follow the Test leg in person, our guide to the best places to visit in New Zealand covers Christchurch, Wellington and more. For more trending explainers, visit the KyunTrend homepage.
Next update: we'll add the 1st T20I result and key performances to the table above as soon as the match ends, then update again after the 2nd T20I on 24 October.