Guwahati, Trivandrum among venues shortlisted for NZ series

Guwahati and Trivandrum Among Venues Shortlisted for New Zealand Series

By Vijay Tagore

India's home season is set to be packed, and several venues are vying for the opportunity to host international matches.

Jaipur, Mohali, Indore, Rajkot, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, and Nagpur have been shortlisted for the eight white-ball matches between India and New Zealand. A few other centers are also being considered for the series, which is scheduled for early next year.

Guwahati is in the running to host an ODI or a T20I against New Zealand. © BCCI

Tentatively scheduled for January 2026, the series against New Zealand will feature three ODIs followed by five T20Is. The white-ball series will conclude a busy home international calendar, which includes two Tests against the West Indies in October and a full series against South Africa, with an away white-ball series in Australia in between.

The itinerary for the New Zealand series will be finalized by the Apex Council of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday evening. The meeting is scheduled to be held online at 4 pm, during which the BCCI will also finalize guidelines for IPL victory celebrations for the franchises, a new age-verification procedure, and the domestic cricket calendar for the upcoming season.

The two Tests against the West Indies (in Ahmedabad and New Delhi) will be followed by a full series against South Africa, who will visit India to play two Test matches (in Kolkata and Guwahati), three ODIs (Ranchi, Raipur, and Vizag), and four T20Is in Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, and Lucknow in November-December.

The two home series against the West Indies and South Africa are scheduled on either side of an eight-match white-ball away tour in Australia, comprising three ODIs and five T20Is, from October 19 to November 8.

The eight white-ball matches against New Zealand in January will be followed by the T20 World Cup, scheduled for February-March in India and Sri Lanka. The IPL will take place shortly after the ICC event, in which India will be the defending champions.