Sri Lanka Tour of New Zealand 2026: Tests + ODI Series Preview

Sri Lanka travel to New Zealand for a multi-format tour spanning two Tests and three ODIs in the 2026 home summer for the Black Caps. The tour is, by the standards of New Zealand's home cycle, a high-stakes one. The Tests sit inside the WTC 2025-27 cycle's remaining-fixture conversation, and Sri Lanka — coming off a strong showing in the SL vs ZIM Test series — arrive with their pace attack peaking at the right moment. For New Zealand, the tour is a chance to find rhythm in a Test cycle that has had quiet stretches.

This is the planning guide — venues, dates, squads, broadcast, ticket pricing, and the cricket-watching fan's logistics for both islands.

The fixture grid

The tour is two Tests followed by three ODIs. T20Is may be added in a separate window if commercial conditions allow. For now, the planning is multi-format across five fixtures.

Match	Format	Venue	Dates (expected)	First-ball local
1st Test	Test	Hagley Oval, Christchurch	5-9 Dec	11:00 NZDT
2nd Test	Test	Seddon Park, Hamilton	13-17 Dec	11:00 NZDT
1st ODI	ODI	Eden Park, Auckland	21 Dec	14:00 NZDT
2nd ODI	ODI	McLean Park, Napier	24 Dec	14:00 NZDT
3rd ODI	ODI	Eden Park, Auckland	28 Dec	14:00 NZDT

Dates are indicative based on the NZC summer window. Final dates will be confirmed in the NZC fixture release.

The Tests

Test 1: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Hagley Oval is the South Island Test venue with the most consistent pace-friendly profile. The pitch typically offers seam movement on Days 1 and 2, with batting easier from Day 3 onwards. Capacity is roughly 18,000, with the public boundary on the eastern side often the loudest. For fans planning the trip, Christchurch International is a 12-minute taxi from the ground.

Test 2: Seddon Park, Hamilton

Seddon Park, capacity roughly 10,500, is a small ground that tends to produce belters of pitches. Run-rates are typically higher here than at Hagley. The pitch has historically rewarded both pace and finger-spin. For sub-continental visitors, the surface plays in their favour.

Probable XIs

NZ probable XI: Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Tim Southee, William O'Rourke.

SL probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Asitha Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara.

The Sri Lanka pace attack — Asitha, Vishwa, Kumara — is the storyline. Asitha's six-for in the SL vs ZIM Test series was a marker. New Zealand conditions will test whether his rhythm transfers.

The ODIs

The three-game ODI series sits at the end of the tour. The first and third ODIs are at Eden Park; the middle ODI is at McLean Park, Napier. Both grounds have produced high-scoring contests in recent NZ home summers.

Eden Park (1st and 3rd ODI)

Eden Park's short straight boundaries are the well-known factor. ODIs at the venue typically post 280-plus first-innings scores. Capacity is roughly 38,000, and a Boxing-Day-window 3rd ODI will likely sell strongly.

McLean Park, Napier (2nd ODI)

McLean Park is a flat batting surface with longer boundaries than Eden Park. Capacity is roughly 19,000. The Hawke's Bay summer typically delivers warm, dry weather for late-December cricket.

Session timings

NZ summer cricket runs on NZDT (UTC+13). For Indian and Sri Lankan fans, that is an early-morning IST start.

Format	Local (NZDT)	IST	BST	AEST
Test first ball	11:00	03:30	22:00 (prev)	09:00
Test stumps	18:00	10:30	05:00	16:00
ODI first ball	14:00	06:30	02:00	12:00
ODI close	22:00	14:30	10:00	20:00

The Test mornings are an early start for IST viewers. The ODIs land more comfortably in the IST morning-to-midday window.

Broadcast

The NZ home broadcast rights are with Sky Sport NZ for the home market. Outbound rights to Sri Lanka, India, and the UK are negotiated separately by NZC's commercial partners.

Region	Broadcaster (expected)
New Zealand	Sky Sport NZ
Sri Lanka	Maharaja TV / Sirasa
India	Sony Sports / FanCode
UK	Sky Sports
Australia	Fox Cricket / Kayo
ROW	ICC.tv (sub-licensed)

These are indicative based on prior NZ home summers. Final confirmation comes from NZC roughly two weeks before the tour begins.

Tickets

NZ home Tests are generally well-priced compared to Australian or English equivalents. The plausible pricing tiers, indicative until NZC confirms:

Tier	Test (NZD)	ODI (NZD)
General Adult	30-45	35-50
Premium Stand	70-100	80-120
Hospitality	250-450	300-500

NZC ticketing typically opens 6-8 weeks before the first ball through the official NZC partner. We do not link to ticketing pages until they are live and verified.

Logistics for travelling fans

Christchurch (Hagley Oval)

Christchurch International Airport is a 12-minute taxi to the ground. Hotels in the central business district and the Hagley Park area are the most convenient. The ground is walkable from CBD hotels.

Hamilton (Seddon Park)

Hamilton is roughly 90 minutes by road from Auckland International Airport. Hamilton has its own airport with limited inbound flights. For most travelling fans, the recommended option is fly to Auckland, hire a car, drive south. The ground has on-site parking but is also walkable from central Hamilton hotels.

Auckland (Eden Park)

Eden Park is a 25-minute drive from Auckland International. It is on the rail line and accessible by Auckland's public transport. Hotels in Mount Eden, Kingsland, and central Auckland are all within easy reach.

Napier (McLean Park)

Napier has a small regional airport with daily flights from Auckland and Wellington. The ground is walkable from most central Napier hotels. The Hawke's Bay region is a popular wine-tourism stop.

Squad-watch storylines

Three storylines worth tracking. First: the duel between New Zealand's spin-bowling allrounders (Santner, Phillips) and Sri Lanka's middle order (Mathews, Chandimal). Second: Asitha Fernando's rhythm in NZ conditions, building from his strong SL vs ZIM showing. Third: Kane Williamson's positioning ahead of the WTC final race — runs here matter for the final mace race conversation.

For the planning fan, this is a five-fixture multi-format tour spanning the South Island, North Island, and the central Hawke's Bay region. The logistics are manageable, the cricket should be sharp, and the timezone is friendly enough for sub-continental viewers willing to wake up early.

The next NZC fixture release will firm the dates within a 14-day window.