BCCI Plots New Series For India Players Before New Zealand Tour

India A to tour New Zealand [Source: AFP]

So far, India’s 2026 cricket schedule has yielded a mixed bag of results. The team dominated the T20 World Cup and won the tournament rather easily. However, they went winless in their next four T20I games as Ireland and England punished the Men in Blue.

If one expected the Ireland and England tour to be India’s biggest challenge, then they have to wait for the upcoming New Zealand tour. New Zealand has been a tricky place for the Indian side over the years, and the Asian side will hope to flip the tables on the upcoming tour.

The two sides will lock horns in a multi-format series, with 5 T20Is, 5 ODIs, and 2 Tests taking place between India and New Zealand across different venues. However, ahead of the marquee tour, India is already planning for a series, right before the India vs New Zealand matches.

India players to tour with A team to New Zealand before senior players arrive

The New Zealand tour holds utmost importance for Team India. The ODI series will help the Gautam Gambhir-led management to decide on their best possible combinations for the ODI World Cup. Moreover, the two Test matches will decide India’s WTC final fate.

It is generally difficult to adapt to the New Zealand conditions, and keeping this in mind, the BCCI has arranged a shadow tour for the India A players before the senior players collide.

According to reports by PTI, the A side will play a multi-format series, comprising three List A matches and two first-class games that could feature a handful of players from the national Test squad.

The report also stated that some first-team cricketers are likely to be drafted into the squad to gain valuable match practice in New Zealand conditions before the marquee series.

Why the India A tour is important for Test players?

The two-match Test series could potentially decide India’s fate in the WTC 2025-27 cycle, and interestingly, none of the Indian batters barring Rishabh Pant have played in New Zealand.

 The likes of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, and others have zero experience of playing on the tricky New Zealand surfaces, and if they are picked for the A side, the matches will allow them to adjust to tough conditions.

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In the Kiwi land, the ball swings a lot, and the batters will need time to acclimatise to the conditions. Hence, if the senior players are picked for the A tour, they’ll get time to understand how the ball behaves, and how they need to tackle the Kiwi bowlers.

New Zealand, not a happy hunting ground for India

2009 was the first time India tasted meaningful success on New Zealand shores, with the MS Dhoni-led side dominating the Kiwis in Tests and ODIs. Team India won the Test series, 1-0, and also captured the ODIs, 3-1. However, they lost the T20I series.

In 2014, the team failed in the ODIs, and also crumbled under pressure to lose the Test series. Similarly, in 2020, India won the T20Is easily, but the Kiwis gave a hammering in the ODIs and Tests.

Of all the SENA countries, New Zealand has been the most difficult to breach, and Team India will try to do that on the upcoming tour.

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