IND vs NZ: Wankhede Stadium set to host an India vs New Zealand Test match in 2024 - Reports

The iconic Wankhede stadium in Mumbai near the Arabian Sea is all set to host its first Men's Test match in 3 years when India welcomes New Zealand for a series.  

Wankhede Stadium is supposedly going to be one of the venues for the 3-match Test series between India and New Zealand later this year, according to a report in TOI. The Blackcaps will be traveling for the series in October-November 2024 as part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. While the Indians are currently on top of the 2023-25 WTC points table, the Kiwis are in 3rd position. 

Wankhede Stadium set to host India Vs New Zealand Test match again 

The last Men's Test match that the Wankhede stadium had hosted was also between India and New Zealand. The venue had hosted the 2nd of a 2-match red-ball series in November-December. Both of the teams were actually playing their first Test match series since that year's inaugural ICC World Test Championship final in Southampton. 

Therein, the Kiwis led by Kane Williamson had defeated Virat Kohli's team India by 8 wickets with Kyle Jamieson becoming the man of the match. Jamieson had registered bowling figures of 5/31 and 2/30 across innings at the Rose Bowl which also became a historic venue for the Blackcaps. 

After years of constant grind and losses in ICC tournament finals, New Zealand had finally become World Champions, that too in the longest format. Although Kane Williamson would have loved to win a white-ball ICC silverware but the fact that he led New Zealand to become the inaugural Test World Champions, is a huge thing in itself. 

Both New Zealand and India have been a part of some classic cricket matches over the last couple of years, most recently during the ICC CWC 2023 semi-finals. Ironically the semi-finale clash too, took place in Wankhede. All the spectators in the stadium witnessed Virat Kohli's completion of 50 ODI centuries in a Wankhede stadium where India had last become World Champions. 

And in the last red-ball match that New Zealand and India played in India was in Wankhede only. Therein, Mayank Agarwal had become the man of the match for scoring 150 and 62, and Axar Patel had scored his maiden half-century in Test cricket.

Ravichandran Ashwin had bagged 8 wickets across innings whereas New Zealand's Ajaz Patel had become just the 3rd bowler to take all 10 wickets in a single innings. And ultimately it was team India who came out on top by a heavy margin of 372 runs. So it was a Test match that is still being remembered as one of the best red-ball matches ever. 

India Vs New Zealand dates are yet to be announced

With the dates yet to be announced for the India Vs New Zealand Test series, both nations are expected to engage in the series in the latter half of the year. The 3-match Test series is most likely to finish by November, right before India visit Australia for a 5-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series.