New Zealand will start its ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Afghanistan on February 8. The ICC announced the full tournament schedule on November 25, and the event will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February and March 2026.
A total of 20 teams will play in the tournament. 12 teams qualified directly, while the remaining 8 teams qualified through regional qualifier tournaments.
New Zealand has never won the T20 World Cup. Their best performance came in 2021, when they reached the final but lost to Australia.
In the 2024 T20 World Cup, New Zealand were knocked out in the first round. Their group-stage loss to Afghanistan was seen as one of the biggest upsets. They then lost to the West Indies, which ended their Super Eight chances. However, they ended the tournament with wins against Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
New Zealand qualified for the 2026 tournament through ICC team rankings. Even though they did not reach the Super Eight in 2024, they qualified because they were the highest-ranked team (6th) outside the Super Eight teams at the cutoff date of June 30, 2024.
A Detailed Look at New Zealand’s T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule
New Zealand are in Group D at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 along with South Africa, Afghanistan, UAE, and Canada. Their campaign will begin on February 8, 2026, when they face Afghanistan in Chennai at 11:00 AM IST.
New Zealand will play three group-stage matches in Chennai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk). They will travel to Ahmedabad for one match at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
New Zealand will play its first match against Afghanistan on February 8 in Chennai. They will play their second match against the UAE on February 10 in Chennai. Their biggest away match will be against South Africa on February 14 in Ahmedabad at 7:00 PM IST. They will then return to Chennai for their last group match against Canada on February 17 at 11:00 AM IST.
The Afghanistan match is important because New Zealand lost to them in the 2024 T20 World Cup, so this game will be seen as a revenge opportunity. Their match against South Africa is also expected to be a tough contest because both teams have had close battles in ICC tournaments.
If New Zealand qualify for the Super Eights and finish in the top two of Group D, they will be seeded Y2. Their possible Super Eight matches would then be played in Colombo at the R Premadasa Stadium, starting with Pakistan on February 21, then Sri Lanka on February 25, and finally England on February 27. All these matches would begin at 7:00 PM local time.
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
| February 8, 2026 | New Zealand vs Afghanistan | Chennai | 11:00 AM |
| February 10, 2026 | New Zealand vs UAE | Chennai | 3:00 PM |
| February 14, 2026 | New Zealand vs South Africa | Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
| February 17, 2026 | New Zealand vs Canada | Chennai | 11:00 AM |
New Zealand’s T20 World Cup 2026 live streaming details
New Zealand fans can watch the T20 World Cup 2026 live on SKY Sport. SKY Sport will also provide Hindi commentary for all India matches, plus the semi-finals and the final.
In India, the tournament will be shown on Star Sports Network for TV coverage. For online streaming in India, matches will be available on the JioHotstar platform through JioStar.
The coverage in India will be available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. Extra regional language feeds like Bengali, Bhojpuri, and Haryanvi will also be available on JioHotstar.
For Team India matches, along with the semi-finals and final, JioHotstar will also offer coverage in Marathi and Indian Sign Language. A vertical live feed in English and Hindi will also be available on JioHotstar for mobile viewers.
FAQs
Q. Who will New Zealand play in their first match?
A. In T20 World Cup 2026, New Zealand will play Afghanistan in their first match.
Q. Has New Zealand ever won the T20 World Cup?
A. No, New Zealand has never won the T20 World Cup.
Q. Where can New Zealand fans watch the T20 World Cup 2026 live?
A. New Zealand fans can watch the tournament live on SKY Sport.
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