Shreyas Iyer to captain India in seven matches on New Zealand tour
Shreyas Iyer will captain India in seven matches on the team's tour of New Zealand in October–November 2026, taking charge for the final two ODIs of the series and the five T20 internationals.
India are in Japan preparing for the men's cricket event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, where Iyer will lead the squad; VVS Laxman has joined the party as head coach and the side includes first-choice players such as Jasprit Bumrah and Abhishek Sharma. Iyer and Laxman previously worked together in Zimbabwe, where Iyer secured his first series win in Indian colours after defeats against Ireland and England, and the team will face Japan in the Suzuki Cup ahead of the official tournament.
The tour schedule in New Zealand sees five T20Is beginning on October 22 and a five-match ODI series starting on November 4; the fifth ODI concludes on November 15 in Mount Maunganui and the first Test begins on November 19 in Wellington. During the transition period before the Test matches, the team will not play a practice game against any provincial side.
The coaching staff have implemented several serious changes following what the report described as dismal performances in recent series, attributed to not being fully prepared and tactical issues; as part of that adjustment, Shreyas Iyer reportedly will replace India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill mid-series. The reported switch is framed as a national adjustment ahead of the Oceania leg of the tour.
The tactical alteration is intended to give multi-format players additional days to recover and prepare for white-ball fixtures. As a consequence, team India’s vice-captain Shreyas Iyer automatically becomes the side’s first choice to lead the team after Shubman Gill.
India's five T20 internationals in New Zealand commence on October 22, the five ODIs run from November 4 with the series' fifth match finishing on November 15 at Mount Maunganui, and the opening Test is scheduled to start on November 19 in Wellington.