There have been many iconic rivalries cricket has produced but none quite as interesting as that of India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline. India have often been favoured in bilateral series largely owing to their potent batting line-up and world class spinners, but New Zealand has so often stood up against the Men in Blue on the biggest ICC stages. Since the inaugural Test match in 1955 up to the pulsating ICC knockout encounters and the glorious T20 battles, this is a rivalry that has shown us plenty of unforgettable moments.
India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline | In more than 7 Decades of Competitive cricket from TEST, ODI and T20I we have seen some magnificent performances from Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.
In this article, you will learn about the full timeline of India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team — i.e. the India vs New Zealand Head to Head, India vs New Zealand Test Record, India vs New Zealand ODI Record and India vs New Zealand T20 Record.
India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline
| Year | Event | Result |
| 1,955 | First Test Match | Draw |
| 1968 | India won first Test series in New Zealand | India 3-1 |
| 1975 | First ODI Meeting (World Cup) | New Zealand won |
| 1987 | First World Cup win for India over New Zealand | India won |
| 2000 | ICC Champions Trophy Final | New Zealand won |
| 2009 | India won Test series in New Zealand | India 1-0 |
| 2019 | ICC Cricket World Cup Semi-final | New Zealand won |
| 2020 | India won T20I series 5-0 | India |
| 2021 | ICC World Test Championship Final | New Zealand won |
| 2023 | ICC Cricket World Cup Semi-final | India won |
| 2024 | Historic Test Series in India | New Zealand won 3-0 |
| 2026 | Rivalry continues in bilateral & ICC events | Ongoing |
How the rivalry went from a hard-fought Test series to high-stakes ICC knockout matches, as seen in the India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline.
India vs New Zealand Head to Head
India vs New Zealand Head to Head Review: India clearly leads the overall series in all three formats, but there have been a few memorable wins for New Zealand in ICC tournaments.
| Format | Matches | India Won | New Zealand Won | Draw/Tie/NR |
| Tests | 65+ | 22+ | 16+ | Remaining Draws |
| ODIs | 120+ | 62+ | 50+ | NR/Tie |
| T20Is | 30+ | 15+ | 14+ | NR |
Records are correct as of completion of the latest international matches (2026) and may change after new fixtures are played.
Now, the India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline, which despite India’s statistical advantage over New Zealand in ODIs, New Zealand has consistently posed a challenge to them in key tournaments.
India vs New Zealand Test Record
India vs New Zealand Test Record India and New Zealand first played each other in 1955 in Hyderabad Both sides have then been involved in great Test matches – full of world-class batting and high-quality, disciplined pace bowling.
Major Highlights
- First Test played in 1955.
- In 1968 India became the first touring nation to win a series in New Zealand.
- In 2009, MS Dhoni again led India to another famous Test series win over New Zealand.
- India had lost to New Zealand in the first ever ICC World Test Championship Final back in 2021.
- New Zealand 3-0 (2024): New Zealand wrote cricketing history in October 2023 when they beat India so convincingly as to become the first side to win a Test series in India by winning all matches without losing one: no overseas country had whitewashed India at home in Tests in the modern era.
Test cricket have always been the foundation of this rivalry and have given us several classic encounters (Image: Pinterest, The India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline)
India vs New Zealand ODI Record
India vs New Zealand ODI Record started from the first Cricket World Cup in 1975. The two sides have gone on to play several bilateral series, Champions Trophy tournaments and ODI World Cups against each other ever since.
Biggest moments include:
- New Zealand over India 2000 ICC Champions Trophy Final.
- India consistently performed well in bilateral ODI series during the 2010s.
- Here are 5 matches in which New Zealand has defeated India!1) The heartbreaking defeat of India by 18 runs at the semi-final stage of the then World Cup in 2019.
- Virat Kohli slammed a world-record century as India trashed New Zealand in 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final powered by Mohammed Shami’s seven-wicket haul.
That is simply a timeline showing the India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline as it is also rightly reflected in that ODI cricket has produced some of the most heart- wrenching and memorable games ever between these two nations.
India vs New Zealand T20 Record
India versus New Zealand T20I record has emerged as one of the thrilling rivalries in international cricket.
New Zealand found success in the ICC T20 tournaments to begin with, before India established dominance in what became a perennial feature of bilateral series.
Key moments include:
- In 2020, India registered a historic clean sweep over New Zealand in the T20I series (5-0).
- The rivalry became so competitive as the two teams played out a number of thrilling Super Overs.
- And with both teams being regular contenders in ICC Men’s T20 World Cups, it only adds more spice to their match-ups.
Date of T20I games played between India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline – T20 cricket, which is a modern twist to an already storied rivalry, both teams have produced high-quality cricket in each of their meetings.
India vs New Zealand World Cup History
India vs New Zealand World Cup History: Perhaps the most illustrious moments in world cricket have come from the India vs New Zealand match-up. New Zealand opener Tom Latham tweeted about it recently, with supporters keen to point out that despite India’s overall superior record across formats over recent years, New Zealand is often even better when the stakes are high in ICC knockout matches.
These memorable World Cup encounters complete the India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline
Memorable World Cup Matches
| Year | Tournament | Winner | Highlight |
| 1,975 | ODI World Cup | New Zealand | First-ever World Cup meeting |
| 1987 | ODI World Cup | India | India’s first World Cup win over New Zealand |
| 1992 | ODI World Cup | New Zealand | Martin Crowe led NZ to victory |
| 2003 | ODI World Cup | New Zealand | Daryl Tuffey’s brilliant bowling spell |
| 2019 | ODI World Cup Semi-final | New Zealand | India lost by 18 runs in Manchester |
| 2023 | ODI World Cup Semi-final | India | Virat Kohli’s 50th ODI century and Mohammed Shami’s 7 wickets |
India vs New Zealand World Cup History: This will be a tightly fought battle between the two nations, at least when it comes to World Cups. If it was New Zealand that shattered all Indian hearts in 2019, India came back with a bang when they beat the Black Caps in the 2023 World Cup semi-final.
ICC Tournament History
The ICC timeline of matches between the India National Cricket Team and New Zealand National Cricket Team contains several unforgettable encounters throughout various tournaments.
ICC Champions Trophy
One such meeting is iconic as it happened when New Zealand grabbed their maiden ICC trophy at the expense of India in a final match up back in 2000. It was a match-winning century from one of the greatest innings in New Zealand cricket history Chris Cairns.
ICC World Test Championship
The two sides squared off in the first ICC World Test Championship Final at Southampton in 2021. It took Kane Williamson’s cool head and their formidable seam attack, who bundled out the Indian men for just 170 in their second innings – 55 more than in their first, as New Zealand won by eight wickets to become the inaugural World Test Champions.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
While New Zealand have had the upper hand over India in a few T20 World Cup meetings, India have largely outshone New Zealand in bilateral T20I cricket.
The India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline proves that ICC events have been kind to both teams through and through.
Greatest Matches in the Rivalry
The timeline of the India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team is filled with several great matches.
1. 2000 ICC Champions Trophy Final
From Chris Cairns’ unbeaten century to steer New Zealand clear of India in a clash for the ages, becoming world No 1 and an ICC winner at the same time.
2. 2019 Cricket World Cup Semi-final
New Zealand defended 239 before rain interrupted the match. Despite a fighting knock from Ravindra Jadeja, New Zealand dismantled India’s famed batting order early and progressed to the final.
3. 2020 T20I Series
India made history as they claimed a 5-0 series win in New Zealand across the five-match T20I games It included two nail biting Super Overs and reflected the emergence of India as a powerhouse in T20 cricket.
4. 2021 World Test Championship Final
In one of the most radical revamps of a sporting schedule in history, New Zealand’s fast bowlers made full use of English conditions to beat India and become the first World Test Champions.
5. 2023 ODI World Cup Semi-final
India made up for the 2019 loss with an emphatic defeat. Virat Kohli smashes his 50th ODI century, Mohammed Shami produced one of the best ever World Cup bowling performances (7 wickets).
Records and Milestones
Timeline India vs New Zealand National Cricket Team for highlights
Batting Records
- Sachin Tendulkar has a number of memorable centuries against New Zealand as well.
- Amongst players who have played a minimum of 30 ODI, Virat Kohli has never failed to deliver against the Black Caps.
- Kane Williamson continues to be New Zealand’s most successful batter against India.
- Ross Taylor had a phenomenal overall career vs India in all 3 formats.
Bowling Records
- Richard Hadlee was a nightmare for India, winning them many Test matches.
- Trent Boult and Tim Southee made one of New Zealand’s best ever pace partnerships.
- New Zealand has struggled against Bumrah little surprise there with wickets similar to what the Indians used in their victory over South Africa last week, accuracy and pace.
- One of the greatest spells in this epic rivalry was bowled by Mohammed Shami in the 2023 World Cup semi-final.
Historic Milestones
- First Test match: 1955
- 1st ODI meeting: 1975 World Cup
- First T20I meeting: 2007
- 1968 – India’s first Test series in New Zealand
- India’s tour of New Zealand 2020: India became the first side ever to register a 5-0 series win over New Zealand in T20Is
- In 2021, New Zealand lifted the first ever World Test Championship.
- In 2024, New Zealand pulled off one of the biggest upsets in modern Test cricket when they completed a 3-0 series win in India.
These milestones not only help you understand the India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline but also highlight the evolution of this historic rivalry.
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FAQs: India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline
Who has won more matches between India and New Zealand?
India has won more matches overall across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, although New Zealand has achieved several memorable victories in ICC tournaments.
When was the first India vs New Zealand Test match played?
The first Test match between the two teams was played in 1955 in Hyderabad.
Who won the 2021 World Test Championship Final?
New Zealand defeated India by eight wickets to become the inaugural ICC World Test Champions.
What is India’s biggest T20I achievement against New Zealand?
India’s biggest achievement is the historic 5-0 T20I series victory in New Zealand in 2020.
Which was the most famous World Cup match between India and New Zealand?
The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final and the 2023 World Cup semi-final are considered the two most iconic matches in the rivalry.
Conclusion
The India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline is a testimony to the fact that this rivalry, built on respect and consistency in the world of cricket, has produced some memorable cricket between today’s two nations. The rivalry has given birth to some mouthwatering contests starting from their first Test match in 1955 to the contemporary times – the ICC tournaments.
It can be the India vs New Zealand Head to Head, India vs New Zealand Test Record, India vs New Zealand ODI Record, India vs New Zealand T20 Record or even the India vs New Zealand World Cup History as this rivalry has added a lot more pages to every nook and corner. Now both sides continue to be at the top of their game and whenever these two meet, we are assured of some great memories as the India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline continues to grow for many years to come.