Team India leaves for New Zealand tour, BCCI shares pictures

The photographs feature Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Tilak Varma and Prince Yadav, among others. The players seemed to be having a great time as they prepared for the fixtures.

India's New Zealand tour begins October 22

India will play five T20 Internationals (T20Is), five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and two Test matches during the tour. The T20I series will kick off the campaign on October 22, with the first two matches to be held in Christchurch on October 22 and 24.

The third T20I will take place in Wellington on October 27, followed by the fourth match to be played in Auckland on October 30. The final T20I is due to be played in Hamilton on November 1.

The five-match ODI series will start in Auckland on November 4. The second match will be played in Wellington on November 7, followed by the third ODI to be played in Hamilton on November 10. Mount Maunganui will host the final two matches on November 13 and 15.

The tour will end with a two-match Test series. The first Test is due to begin in Wellington on November 19, while the second Test will start in Christchurch on November 27.

Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer to lead in ODIs

The BCCI announced the ODI and Test squads on October 16, with Shubman Gill named as captain for the first three ODIs and the Test series. Shreyas Iyer will captain India in the final two ODIs.

The T20I squad will feature Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh, among others. Shreyas Iyer has been named captain, with Tilak Varma as the vice-captain.

For the ODI series, the squad will feature senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, along with KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav. The Test squad will feature Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant, subject to fitness clearance.

With the matches to be played all over New Zealand in the three formats, the tour will be a tough one for the Indian players as they gear up to face their hosts.