Vadodara to host first men's international in 15 years during NZ tour of India

Vadodara is set to host its first men's international match in more than 15 years during New Zealand's white-ball tour of India in January 2026. The first ODI on January 11, which kicks off the tour, will take place at the newly built Kotambi Stadium, which has already hosted three Women's ODIs between India and West Indies in December 2024, as well as six matches during the 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL).

New Zealand were also involved when Vadodara hosted its last men's international game, an ODI at the Reliance Stadium in December 2010. Current India head coach Gautam Gambhir scored a Player-of-the-Match-winning century in that game, and Virat Kohli - who has retired from T20Is and Tests but remains an ODI player - an unbeaten 63.

New Zealand's 2025-26 tour of India is set to comprise three ODIs and five T20Is. It is set to be the first meeting between the two sides since India's victory over New Zealand in the final of the Champions Trophy in March.

After Vadodara, the teams will remain in Gujarat, with Rajkot set to host the second ODI on January 14, before the ODI series concludes in Indore on January 18. This match starts the central-India leg of the tour, with Nagpur (January 21) and Raipur (January 23) to host the first two T20Is.

The teams will then move east before travelling southwards to conclude the tour, with Guwahati (January 25), Visakhapatnam (January 28) and Thiruvananthapuram (January 31) hosting the third, fourth and fifth T20Is.

As things stand, these five T20Is could be the last ones for India before the start of the T20 World Cup in February-March 2026. New Zealand, meanwhile, are scheduled to play three T20Is against Afghanistan immediately after the India tour.

India, winners of the 2024 edition in the West Indies and the USA, are set to co-host the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka.