Cricket fans, get ready for a long one. India are heading to New Zealand for the largest bilateral tour in the host nation’s cricket history, with 12 matches across T20Is, ODIs and Tests. There’s history to chew on too, because these two sides met in this year’s T20 World Cup final, which India won. Expect the Kiwis to come with something to prove.
It all kicks off with the T20Is. The first match is on 22 October in Christchurch, with a second there on the 24th, then Wellington on the 27th, Auckland on the 30th and Hamilton on 1 November. After that, the five ODIs start on 4 November and wrap up in Mount Maunganui, before two Tests in Wellington and Christchurch.
India’s T20 side has plenty of firepower. Shreyas Iyer is captain, with Tilak Varma as his deputy. Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan make up a fearless top order, while Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav handle the bowling. There’s also a welcome comeback for Bhuvneshwar Kumar after nearly four years.
The Black Caps won’t be pushovers. Mitchell Santner leads a side that includes Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Kyle Jamieson. Sadly, Rachin Ravindra is out with an injury.
So where can you watch? If you’re in continental Europe, tune in to Cricbuzz TV via YuppTV. In the USA, Willow TV via YuppTV has you covered. You can stream on your phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device once you’ve signed up on YuppTV. With the action in New Zealand, matches will land overnight or early morning for you, so set those alarms.
