India A will play three four-day matches in Christchurch before the Tests in New Zealand

India A will take on New Zealand A in a three-match first-class series in Christchurch, with the match scheduled to begin on October 24, New Zealand Cricket confirmed on Tuesday. The red-ball matches will serve as an important warm-up for India ahead of their senior team’s two-Test series against New Zealand later in the tour. The A side will be given the opportunity to acclimatise to local conditions and provide match practice for players hoping to push for places in the national squad.

New Zealand Cricket has included the India A fixture in its announcement of the upcoming Plunket Shield schedule, with the country’s premier domestic first-class competition entering its 101st season.

“New Zealand’s premier first-class competition returns for its 101st season, joining a packed red-ball cricket roster that also includes Tests against India and Sri Lanka at home and Australia away.”

“The domestic red-ball summer will also receive an injection of international class as New Zealand A host India A for three four-day matches in Christchurch from October 24,” New Zealand Cricket said in a statement.

India has used a similar A-team route in the past. Ahead of their recent tour of Sri Lanka, several players from the A setup including Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain and Gurnoor Brar gained valuable competitive experience before reaching the senior team.

The India A series comes as part of a busy tour for the Indian team, which is scheduled to play five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests in New Zealand during October and November.

The Test leg will begin in Wellington from November 19 to 23, while the second match will be played in Christchurch from November 27 to December 1.

India are currently fifth in the World Test Championship standings, with New Zealand occupying the third spot.

The upcoming series will also allow India to respond to their previous Test experience against New Zealand. During their tour of India in 2024-25, the visitors made it an amazing 3-0 in the series.

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Published on:

01 Sep 2026 20:55 IST