India A vs New Zealand A 2026: schedule, match time in India, where to watch live and squad
India A play three four-day matches in Lincoln and Christchurch from 24 October, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan in a Dhruv Jurel-led squad. Play starts at 3 AM IST, and the matches will be streamed on New Zealand Cricket's YouTube channel.
While India's senior side play their T20Is in New Zealand, India A will be there too, playing three four-day matches against New Zealand A. With the senior Test series in New Zealand starting on 19 November, these games are a chance for players such as KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan to press their case.
India A vs New Zealand A 2026 schedule
All three matches are four-day, first-class games. Each day starts at 10:30 AM in New Zealand, which is 3:00 AM IST.
- 1st match: 24 to 27 October, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
- 2nd match: 31 October to 3 November, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
- 3rd match: 7 to 10 November, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Because of the time difference, each day's play in India runs from 3 AM to about 10:30 AM IST. The first ball of the series is at 3 AM IST on Saturday, 24 October, which is late on Friday night in India.
Where to watch India A vs New Zealand A live
New Zealand Cricket will stream the matches live on its YouTube channel. No Indian TV broadcaster has announced coverage of the series, so don't expect it on Star Sports or Sony Sports. Live scores and scorecards are on the BCCI website and app.
India A's home series against Australia A earlier this month was on Star Sports and JioHotstar. This tour is different because New Zealand Cricket is the host, so coverage comes from their side.
India A squad for New Zealand
Dhruv Jurel captains India A. Rishabh Pant was named in the original squad but is out of the first two matches with a left-side strain he picked up in the Irani Cup. Kumar Kushagra replaces him for those two games, and a decision on Pant for the third match will come later.
India A squad: Dhruv Jurel (c & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Ravichandran Smaran, Kumar Kushagra (wk, 1st and 2nd matches), Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Auqib Nabi
Why this series matters
India's Test squad for New Zealand has not been announced yet. Rahul, Jaiswal, Sudharsan, Padikkal and Washington Sundar are all Test players, and playing red-ball cricket in New Zealand conditions just before the Tests could decide who travels with the senior side. For bowlers like Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and Auqib Nabi, it is a chance to show they can use the seam movement New Zealand pitches offer.
Follow India's full tour of New Zealand, with every match time in IST, on TryBall.