International cricket schedule: Black Caps host India and Sri Lanka, White Ferns welcome Bangladesh
Sport and Recreation Minister Mark Mitchell has laughed off a schedule clash that has New Zealand’s general election on the same day as the Black Caps’ second one-day international against India in Wellington.
As New Zealand Cricket confirmed its summer schedule, with blockbuster clashes against India and Sri Lanka for the Black Caps, and Bangladesh for the White Ferns, November 7 looms as a standout date for more than one reason.
Aside from the Black Caps hosting India at Wellington’s HNRY Stadium, Kiwis will also head to the polls. Traditionally, sporting calendars are cleared to allow voters to turn out without distraction.
Mitchell, though, is unfazed and even joked that fans should be able to vote inside the stadium.
“Nicki [Russell] from New Zealand Cricket was teasing me about that on the way in,” laughed Mitchell. “I didn’t realise that.
“They said we might have to put some polling booths at the ground to deal with that.
“I’ll probably be in Auckland on that day, I’ll be in my electorate.”
While the past two years have seen men’s international cricket limited over summer months, the lack of an international tournament at the start of 2027 has freed up space in the Black Caps’ calendar to welcome the new year.
With the Black Caps’ run of 14 test matches in a 12-month span now underway, India’s tour of New Zealand bisects this month’s series against England and the year-ending trip to Australia.
That means, with a white ball tour of the West Indies also confirmed, the Black Caps will face all of cricket’s “big three”, one after the other.
Starting at the end of October, India will visit for five Twenty20 Internationals, five ODIs and two tests.
Kiwi fans face several late nights, though, with all T20s starting at 8pm, while the ODIs are all 3pm starts, meaning the 10 games will finish between 11pm and midnight.
The two tests will be played in Wellington and Christchurch, finishing on December 1, before the Black Caps head across the Tasman to face Australia just over a week later.
Those tests will also be the first meeting of the Black Caps and India since New Zealand’s 3-0 whitewash away from home in 2024.
Once the tour of Australia concludes, with the final test in Sydney scheduled to finish on January 8, the Black Caps have another short turnaround before Sri Lanka arrive.
In January 2025 and 2026, the Black Caps were overseas for the Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup respectively, and next year will bring another all-format tour.
Starting on January 16, the two sides will meet in another three ODIs and three T20s, while two tests will wrap the summer up by mid-February.
All four of the home tests will count towards the World Test Championship, before the Black Caps conclude their 2025-27 cycle away to Pakistan in March.
However, while the Black Caps have two marquee tours, the White Ferns are limited to one, against Bangladesh.
With the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy to be held in Sri Lanka in February, the White Ferns’ tour of Australia has been postponed, with the fixtures to be confirmed at a later date.
As a result, the White Ferns’ home schedule will consist of six matches – three T20s to be played in Nelson and Wellington, and three ODIs in Wellington and Tauranga.
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.