In a bid to keep their ODI World Cup preparations on track, New Zealand will tour Bangladesh in September for a three-match ODI series. The tour is going to break a decade-long hiatus as the Blackcaps haven't toured the Asian Country since 2013. With the ODI World Cup to start on October 5, this series between the two nations will hold plenty of significance as both teams would be able to fine-tune their preparations and narrow down their playing combinations for the marquee tournament in India. All the three ODIs will be played at the iconic Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
The tour is not merely limited to the three ODIs, it will also feature two Test matches that will be a part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle 2023-25. The Test series will form the second leg of the tour and will be played after the culmination of the World Cup. The venues for both Test matches are yet to be announced.
The runner-ups of the previous 50-overs World Cup, the Kiwis will have to hit the ground running in the World Cup as they will play the curtain raiser of the tournament against their co-finalists of the 2019 edition and the defending champions England on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
For the Shakib-Al-Hasan-led side, the tournament will begin with its fixture against Asian neighbours Afghanistan at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday, October 7.
New Zealand tour of Bangladesh 2023:
1st ODI: September 21, Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
2nd ODI: September 23, Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
3rd ODI: September 26, Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
1st Test: November 28 to December 2, To Be Announced
2nd Test: December 6 to December 10, To Be Announced