New Zealand v India, 1st T20I: Hagley Oval preview, IST start time and the champions' return

Seven months after they met in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, India and New Zealand start a five-match T20I series on Thursday, 22 October, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The first match begins at 12:30 PM IST (8:00 PM local), under lights.

A lot has happened since that final, but the memory of it will follow both teams into this series.

The final that hangs over this series

India won the 2026 T20 World Cup by beating New Zealand by 96 runs on 8 March. The scorecard still reads emphatically: India 255 for 5, New Zealand 159. Abhishek Sharma made 52 and Ishan Kishan 54 in that total, and India's bowlers then ran through the chase in 19 overs.

For New Zealand, this home series is the first real chance to answer that defeat in front of their own crowd. For India, it is about playing like champions away from home, in conditions that have rarely been kind to visiting batters.

What to expect at Hagley Oval

The series opener is an 8:00 PM start in Christchurch, so the ball is likely to move around early under lights. Hagley Oval has traditionally rewarded disciplined pace bowling, and both attacks will fancy their chances with a new ball in hand. New Zealand's attack in the World Cup final included Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner, and the home side will lean on that kind of experience again.

The outfield is quick and the square boundaries are short enough to keep power hitters interested, so a high-scoring game is just as possible as a bowler-dominated one if batters get through the new-ball spell.

What each team is playing for

India arrive as world champions and the stronger T20I side on recent evidence. The question for them is combination and continuity: which of the World Cup core keeps its place, and who pushes in from the fringes during a long tour.

New Zealand's incentive is simpler. Five T20Is at home against the side that beat them in a world final is a chance to reset the rivalry before the teams meet again in the ODI leg of this tour.

Players to watch

For India, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan set up that World Cup final win with half-centuries at the top, and both have the game for New Zealand's pace-friendly conditions. Watch how India's top order handles the first six overs.

For New Zealand, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry all featured in the March final and know this ground well. Santner's left-arm spin through the middle overs and Henry's new-ball spell are the two phases where the hosts can squeeze India.

The tour ahead

After the T20Is - 22, 24, 27 and 30 October, and 1 November - the teams play five ODIs from 4 November and then two Tests in late November. Dates, venues and IST start times for every match are on our international fixtures schedule, and you can read our full T20I series guide for squads and the bigger picture.

Match details

• Match: New Zealand v India, 1st T20I
• Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
• Start: 12:30 PM IST (8:00 PM local)
• Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Sources: New Zealand Cricket's 2026-27 international schedule for dates and venues; ESPNcricinfo for the 2026 T20 World Cup final scorecard.

Sri Lanka v England, tri-series 3rd ODI: preview, start time in IST and what each team needs

Sri Lanka and England meet at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, 22 October, in the third match of the Pakistan ODI tri-series - and both sides are already running out of room. Pakistan have won both of their games, so the loser of this one will be under serious pressure before the series moves to Lahore. The match starts at 1:30 PM IST.

Here is what has happened so far, what Thursday means for each team, and what to watch.

How the series stands

Pakistan have made a near-perfect start as hosts. In the opener on 18 October they posted 305 and beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs. Two days later they went further, making 302 for 9 against England and then bowling the visitors out for 215 to win by 87 runs.

The second game had a clear pattern. Pakistan's top order wobbled early, but Hasan Nawaz held the innings together with 79, the highest score of the match, while wicketkeeper Saad Baig added 35 and Babar Azam 34. England's chase then collapsed in the middle overs. After a 91-run opening stand, the innings fell away sharply once the first wicket went down, and the last five wickets added very little. From a strong platform to 215 all out, it was a defeat that will sting.

What Sri Lanka need

Sri Lanka's problem in the first match was not effort but the final few overs of both innings. Chasing 306, they stayed in touch for long periods before finishing on 268. Against an England attack that Pakistan have already scored 302 against, their batters have a real chance to post or chase a big score.

The key for Sri Lanka is converting starts. Their top order got them close in a 300-plus chase once already in this series. If one of them bats deep into the innings on Thursday, the game opens up.

What England need

England's batting card against Pakistan told its own story: a bright start, then a slide. The middle order never settled against disciplined bowling, and the tail was exposed far too early. Harry Brook and Joe Root are exactly the players England will want more from in Rawalpindi.

There is also a leadership question. Losing by 87 runs after being well placed in a chase forces a rethink, whether that is about intent against spin in the middle overs or simply better shot selection under pressure.

The bigger picture

This tri-series is short - six league games and a final on 31 October - so every match carries weight. A Pakistan win for Sri Lanka or England here would all but end realistic hopes of making the final without help from other results. After Thursday, the tournament shifts to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where Pakistan face England again on 25 October.

For the full fixture list with IST start times, including the Lahore leg and the final, see our schedule of major international fixtures.

Match details

• Match: Sri Lanka v England, 3rd ODI, Pakistan tri-series
• Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
• Start: 1:30 PM IST (1:00 PM local)
• Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Sources: Pakistan Cricket Board tri-series page and ECB schedule announcement for the fixtures; ESPNcricinfo scorecards for the results of matches one and two.

US Grand Prix 2026: how Antonelli can win the F1 title in Austin, with IST times

Formula 1 is back in Austin this weekend for Round 18 of the 2026 season, and for the first time this year the drivers' title can be settled. Kimi Antonelli has been the story of the season, and the Circuit of The Americas gives him his first shot at closing it out. Here is how the maths works, who else matters, and when to watch from India.

What Antonelli needs

Antonelli leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 102 points with six rounds left and 150 points still available. Formula 1's own reading is that he can end the fight in Austin if he leaves the weekend 125 points or more clear of his nearest rival (Formula 1).

The simple version is that he has to win the race. Anything less and the celebrations wait at least another week. If he does win, Russell must finish ninth or lower, and Lewis Hamilton, who is third in the standings, must finish no higher than fifth (Formula 1). All of that has to line up on one afternoon, so it is a long shot. If it does happen, motorsport.com notes he would be champion with five rounds to spare, one short of the record Michael Schumacher set in 2002 (motorsport.com).

Why Verstappen is worth watching

Max Verstappen is fourth in the championship, 119 points behind, so his own title hopes are nearly gone. He is still the form driver of the moment. He won the last two races and also took the Singapore Sprint, and Formula 1 says he was just seven points from a maximum score across the last triple header. Antonelli himself called a closer Verstappen "very, very scary". In Austin, Verstappen needs Antonelli to be outscored by six points or more to stay mathematically alive (Formula 1). He also won here last year.

Where Mercedes stand

Antonelli finished third in Singapore after moving up from fourth when Hamilton and Lando Norris collided in a late fight. He said the car package is finally showing "the light at the end of the tunnel", though he also admitted he struggled on the medium tyre. Russell went back to an older car package that weekend and still recovered to ninth from the back of the grid (Formula 1).

Session times in IST

The race weekend runs 23 to 25 October at the Circuit of The Americas. Our times are converted from the local Austin times that Formula 1 lists: Practice 1 on Friday 23 October at 11:00 PM IST, Practice 2 on Saturday at 2:30 AM, Practice 3 on Saturday at 11:00 PM, Qualifying on Sunday 25 October at 2:30 AM and the race on Monday 26 October at 1:30 AM IST. Because the race is on Sunday afternoon in Texas, it falls in the early hours of Monday for viewers in India. The full list sits on our Schedule page, and the Formula 1 page has the standings. Times can change, so check the official Formula 1 schedule before you set an alarm.

International sport today, 19 October: SA v Aus Test day 2 and five tennis tournaments (IST)

Monday 19 October is a lighter day for international sport. There is one Test match in progress, five tennis tournaments getting going, and no men's international football at all. Here is what is on, with times in IST. This is a list of the major international events we could confirm, not every match in the world.

Cricket: South Africa v Australia, 2nd Test, day 2 (Gqeberha)

Play is scheduled to start at 10:00 local time, which is 1:30 PM IST. Rain wrecked most of day 1. After a 90-minute delay, only 12.2 overs were possible, and South Africa ended on 20 for 2. Scott Boland, who came in for Nathan Lyon, took two wickets in consecutive balls to remove Aiden Markram and David Bedingham, leaving captain Temba Bavuma and debutant Marques Ackerman at the crease. It was the first time since 2013 that Lyon missed a Test he was available for (Cricinfo match report, Fox Sports).

Australia lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning in Durban by 214 runs. The forecast offers some hope of play later in the day, so the start time can slip. The match runs to 22 October (ICC).

Tennis: five tournaments begin

The week of 19 to 25 October has three ATP 250 events, the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan, the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in Lyon and the European Open in Brussels, plus two WTA events, the Ningbo Open in China (WTA 500) and the Japan Open in Osaka (WTA 250). The ATP pages show qualifying under way on Monday, and the WTA lists both of its events as running from 19 October. In Lyon, the first session on Centre Court is scheduled to start at 11:00 local time, which is 2:30 PM IST. Orders of play change late in the day, so use the official pages for exact match times: Lyon, Almaty, Brussels, Ningbo and Osaka.

What is not on today

There are no India matches today. India Women play Zimbabwe in the third T20I tomorrow, Tuesday 20 October, at 7:00 PM IST in Raipur, and Pakistan face England in the tri-series at 1:30 PM IST in Rawalpindi the same day. Men's international football is on a break until the window of 9 to 17 November. Both dates are on our Schedule page, which we update every morning.

Times and conditions can change, especially with rain in Gqeberha, so check the official links before you plan around anything.

India v New Zealand T20I series: dates in IST, squads and what to watch

India's men start a long tour of New Zealand this week, and it opens with five T20Is. The first one is on Thursday 22 October. Here is what is confirmed so far, with the start times in IST so you do not have to convert anything.

The five T20Is

New Zealand Cricket's announced schedule has these five matches: 22 October in Christchurch, 24 October in Christchurch, 27 October in Wellington, 30 October in Auckland and 1 November in Hamilton (ICC). The BCCI match centre lists the first two at 7:00 am UTC, which is 12:30 PM IST, at Hagley Oval (1st T20I, 2nd T20I). We have not seen start times for the last three yet, so we are not guessing them. They will go on our Schedule page once the official match pages carry them.

India's squad

The BCCI named a 16-man T20I squad on 6 October with Shreyas Iyer as captain and Tilak Varma as vice-captain. The rest of the group: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav (BCCI).

It is a young, batting-heavy group, with Abhishek, Samson, Kishan and Sooryavanshi all in the mix for the top order. The spin department has Axar, Varun and Kuldeep, while Arshdeep, Bhuvneshwar, Prince and Mayank share the fast-bowling load. How many of those four seamers play on the Christchurch pitch is one question to watch on Thursday.

New Zealand's side

Mitchell Santner captains the Blackcaps. They lost two players to injury before the series: Mark Chapman (hamstring) and Zak Foulkes (hip flexor). Josh Clarkson and Blair Tickner were called in to replace them. NZC says Chapman is on track to be available for the ODIs. The updated T20I squad is Santner, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Clarkson, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith and Tickner (NZC).

Why this series feels bigger than five T20Is

The T20Is are only the start. The full tour is five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, a 12-game itinerary that the ICC reports is set to be the largest international tour in NZC history by number of matches. It is India's first Test cricket in New Zealand since 2019 and their first white-ball assignment there since 2022 (ICC).

There is also the recent history. These two teams met in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad on 8 March 2026, and India won by 96 runs. Both squads have changed a lot since then, so this is not a rematch of that team sheet.

How to follow it on this site

Our home page has live cards for cricket. Those cards show Pakistan and India Women at the moment, so for the New Zealand series use the official BCCI match centre for the live score. We will add the New Zealand v India fixtures to the Schedule page as each start time is confirmed, and all times there are in IST.

Squads and timings can change, especially with injuries already in the news. Check the official links above before you plan around a match.

Cricket on Sunday 18 October: SA v Aus Test, Pakistan v Sri Lanka ODI and India Women v Zimbabwe (IST)

Sunday 18 October is a full day of international cricket. Two matches start at 1:30 PM IST, and a third follows at 7:00 PM. Here is what is on, what led into each game, and the times in IST.

1:30 PM IST: South Africa v Australia, 2nd Test, Gqeberha

Australia lead the three-Test series 1-0. They won the opener in Durban by 214 runs after Matt Renshaw's 190 lifted them from 230 for 8 to 390, and Josh Hazlewood took six wickets in South Africa's second innings. This second Test runs from 18 to 22 October at St George's Park, and the third is in Cape Town from 27 to 31 October (ICC).

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said his side need to show more composure and that changes were an option. Matthew Breetzke replaces Tristan Stubbs in the squad for this Test, and Kagiso Rabada is working his way back from a hamstring injury. Conrad's own words on Rabada were hopeful rather than a confirmation that he plays, so check the toss and team sheets.

1:30 PM IST: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, tri-series opener, Rawalpindi

This is the first match of the ODI tri-series between Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka. The PCB says every match starts at 1:00 PM Pakistan time, with the toss at 12:30 PM, which makes it 1:30 PM IST. Pakistan are led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has captained them in 11 ODIs and won seven. England's captain is Harry Brook and Sri Lanka's is Kusal Mendis (PCB).

The head-to-head favours Pakistan by a long way. In 160 ODIs against Sri Lanka they have won 96, with one tie and four no results. The PCB also notes that Pakistan have won three of their last four ODI series, and that this is the fourth tri-nation series Pakistan has hosted, after 1994, 2004 and 2025. The seven-match event ends with a final in Lahore on 31 October.

7:00 PM IST: India Women v Zimbabwe Women, 2nd T20I, Raipur

India Women lead the three-match series 1-0 after a four-wicket win in the first game on Friday. Zimbabwe made 114 for 5, and India got there on 116 for 6 in 15.4 overs, but only after falling to 19 for 4 against a tight spell from Nyasha Gwanzura (3 for 18). Niki Prasad, on debut, and Deepti Sharma steadied the chase. It was also Smriti Mandhana's first match as full-time captain (ICC, BCCI scorecard).

A win tonight would settle the T20I series before the third match on Tuesday 20 October. The three ODIs follow in Baroda from 23 October.

Where to follow it

Our home page has live cards for cricket, and every date and time sits on the Schedule page. The live cards are a third-party feed and can lag, so use the official ICC, PCB or BCCI pages for the score that counts. Squads can change on the morning of a match, and this post reflects official reports up to Sunday morning.

India beat New Zealand by 96 runs to win the 2026 T20 World Cup

On 8 March 2026, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India beat New Zealand by 96 runs to win the T20 World Cup. India made 255 for 5. New Zealand were bowled out for 159.

What the win means

India came in as defending champions after the 2024 title. Winning again made them the first team to take back-to-back T20 World Cups and the first host nation to win the tournament on home soil. It is also their third title overall, after 2007 and 2024, which is more than any other team.

The 255

The top order did the damage. Sanju Samson hit 89 off 46 balls with five fours and eight sixes. Ishan Kishan made 54 off 25 and Abhishek Sharma 52 off 21, a strike rate of just under 248. Hardik Pandya added a quick 18 off 13. Jamie Neesham took both Samson and Kishan, but by then India had put up a total that was never going to be chased down in a final.

Bumrah closes it out

Jasprit Bumrah finished with 4 for 15 and was named Player of the Match. Defending 255, India only needed to avoid giving away early momentum, and Bumrah's spell made sure of that.

How the innings was built

Abhishek and Samson put on 98 for the first wicket before Abhishek was caught behind off Rachin Ravindra in the 8th over. Samson and Kishan then took India to 203 for 2 in the 16th over. In that one over James Neesham got Samson and Kishan, and then Suryakumar Yadav, who was caught by Ravindra at deep backward square leg. India went from 203 for 2 to 204 for 4 in six balls. Hardik Pandya added 18, and Shivam Dube finished it with 26 not out off 8 balls, with three fours and two sixes, to get India to 255. Neesham took 3 for 46, and Matt Henry went for 49 in his four overs.

The chase

New Zealand needed 256 and never got near it. Finn Allen was out for 9 in the third over and Ravindra for 1 in the next. Tim Seifert hit 52 off 26 balls with five sixes, but he fell to Varun Chakravarthy, and New Zealand were 72 for 5 in the 9th over. Captain Mitchell Santner made 43 off 35 and was bowled by Bumrah. Axar Patel took 3 for 27, Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma took one wicket each, and Bumrah took 4 for 15 as New Zealand were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs.

Samson's tournament

Sanju Samson was named Player of the Series with 321 runs, and ESPNcricinfo's MVP for the final too. His 89 was the highest score of the match. Bumrah was Player of the Match for his 4 for 15.

Sources

Scores and player figures are from the ESPNcricinfo scorecard and the BCCI match centre. The tournament records are from the 2026 T20 World Cup summary.