Meet the BLACKCAPS for Free as Christchurch Launches India Cricket Tour

A public signing session, food trucks and an interactive batting simulator will bring fans into Victoria Square on 21 October, ahead of the opening T20 international at Hagley Oval.

By Webfit News | 14 October 2026

Christchurch cricket fans will have a chance to meet the BLACKCAPS without buying a match ticket when the T20I squad attends a free public launch in Victoria Square next Wednesday.

The family-friendly event on 21 October will feature a player signing session, entertainment, giveaways and food trucks, alongside the first appearance of the ANZ BatZone cricket simulator.

Fans can arrive from 4pm. ChristchurchNZ lists the formal event start at 5pm, with an official team welcome and cultural performances on the programme.

The gathering takes place a day before New Zealand faces India at Hagley Oval, opening a 12-match tour that New Zealand Cricket describes as the largest it has hosted.

Bringing the tour beyond the boundary

The launch offers a way to participate in the tour beyond attending a match, giving families and supporters an opportunity to meet the players in a public city-centre setting.

NZC Head of Marketing Tim Ellis said the event would provide unusually close access to the squad.

“The welcome at Victoria Square is a rare opportunity for our fans to get up close and personal with the entire BLACKCAPS team and wish them well for what is going to be an incredible tour.”

NZC expects approximately 170,000 spectator attendances across the tour. That figure is a forecast, rather than a confirmed attendance total.

The organisation says improving the experience for fans at matches is a key focus, with community events also intended to share the excitement more widely.

A chance to face a real ball

The ANZ BatZone will give visitors an opportunity to pick up a bat and try BatFast’s augmented-reality cricket simulator.

Although the experience uses digital technology, participants will face and strike a real ball. Shots will be tracked on a digital wagon wheel, with leaderboards allowing players to compare scores.

The activation is free to play and will use registration and queue management to organise participation.

Following its Christchurch launch, it is scheduled to appear at matches in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga between 22 October and 1 December.

BatFast Senior Commercial Manager Jack Roddick said the aim was to turn spectators’ enthusiasm into participation.

“Sport is at its most powerful when people have the opportunity to participate, not simply watch,” he said.

A century of sporting connections

The tour forms part of celebrations marking 100 years of sporting ties between New Zealand and India.

The connection began in 1926 when an Indian Army hockey team toured New Zealand. This year’s anniversary programme extends across several sports, with cricket, football and other events providing opportunities for communities to take part.

For Christchurch, the calendar includes the two opening T20 internationals on 22 and 24 October, an All Whites match against India on 15 November, and a cricket Test from 27 November to 1 December.

The Victoria Square launch brings that wider celebration into a public space before the competitive action begins.

Māori and Indian designs meet in a special shirt

The BLACKCAPS will also wear a limited-edition Kotahitanga shirt during the ODI series.

The design is a collaboration between Ben Thomason, of Ngāti Raukawa ki Te Tonga, and New Zealand-Indian designers Shiv Narandas and Jai Pancha, whose families hail from Gujarat.

It brings Māori and Indian design elements together to recognise the two countries’ shared sporting history.

The shirt is for the ODI series, which follows the T20 internationals.

What fans need to know

Detail	Information
Event	BLACKCAPS v India series launch
Date	Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Location	Victoria Square, Christchurch
Arrival	From 4pm
Formal event start	5pm, according to ChristchurchNZ
Admission	Free and open to the public
Activities	Team welcome, signing session, cultural performances, food trucks, giveaways and ANZ BatZone
Opening match	Thursday, 22 October, 8pm at Hagley Oval

NZC says another sell-out is expected for the opening T20 international, but that had not been confirmed in the supplied announcement.

The launch is being delivered in partnership with Ōtautahi Christchurch, ANZ and Sport NZ.

Sources: New Zealand Cricket media releases and ChristchurchNZ event information.