The partnership comes at a significant moment in India-New Zealand sporting relations, with 2026 marking 100 years of sporting ties between the two countries. The India tour forms a key part of New Zealand’s ‘100 Years of Unity through Sport’ celebrations, which bring together multiple sporting disciplines across the year.
As a part of the partnership Ai+ Smartphone will have an integrated presence across the series, giving the brand an opportunity to engage with cricket audiences across all three formats and throughout the 12-match tour. The association brings together AI+’s focus on technology and performance with one of the most anticipated international cricket properties of the New Zealand summer.
For Ai+ Smartphone, the partnership builds on the brand’s ambition to create stronger connections with consumers through high-relevance cultural and sporting platforms. Cricket, with its deep audience connection in India and its ability to bring together technology, entertainment and shared experiences, provides a natural extension of the brand’s communication platform.
Archi Gogoi, Head of Brand, Marketing & Growth, Ai+ Smartphone, said, “Cricket is more than a sport in India; it is a shared cultural experience that brings together audiences across generations and geographies. Our partnership with New Zealand Cricket around India’s 12-match tour gives Ai+ an opportunity to participate in one of the most anticipated sporting moments of the year while building relevance for the brand beyond the smartphone category. Technology and sport share a common language of performance, innovation and constant evolution, and this partnership allows us to bring that connection to life in a meaningful way. The significance of this tour is further amplified by the 100-year celebration of sporting ties between India and New Zealand, making it an exciting platform for Ai+ to engage with audiences across both markets.”
Lokesh Sharma, Managing Director, TCM said, “This partnership brings together a fast-growing consumer technology brand and one of the most significant bilateral tours on the international calendar. Our role with New Zealand Cricket has always been to build relevant commercial partnerships around its cricket, and we are pleased to have enabled AI+ Smartphones’ association with this series. The scale of the tour, combined with the centenary year, makes it an especially strong platform.”
Geoff Allott, CEO, New Zealand Cricket, said, “India’s tour is one of the major highlights of our home season, and with 12 matches across three formats, it gives our partners a strong and sustained platform. We are pleased to welcome AI+ Smartphone as the ‘Powered By’ Partner and look forward to working together across what will be a significant series for New Zealand Cricket.”
Beginning October 22, 2026, India will take on the BLACKCAPS across five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, with matches being played across five major centres in New Zealand. With 12 matches, the tour is the largest inbound international tour in New Zealand Cricket’s history by match count.
The tour’s opening match will be played in Christchurch on October 22 with the first of two T20Is at Hagley Oval, before moving through Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga for the remainder of the white-ball series. The two-Test series will conclude the tour, with the second Test scheduled at Hagley Oval from November 27 to December 1.
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