India cricket tour: Ian Smith returns to Sky commentary box

Fronting India’s white-ball matches is Shastri, ICC World Cup winner, former India head coach and long-time broadcaster.

“Having made my test debut in New Zealand against Smithy playing for the Blackcaps, New Zealand is a special place for me, and there’s enormous respect in India for the way New Zealand plays its cricket,” Shastri said.

The 2026/27 summer of cricket sees the home coverage of the international game return to Sky Sport for the first time since 2020.

Gary Burchett, Sky’s head of sport content, says the return of home international cricket is an exciting opportunity to bring Kiwi fans closer to the game.

“Cricket is back on Sky, and we’re treating its return as a significant moment. Our focus is on bringing fans closer to the players, the tactics, the pressure and the emotion, with some of the best cricket minds in the world providing insight along the way. We want our coverage to feel intelligent, contemporary and full of energy, with the game always at the heart of it,” Burchett said.

Sky’s Summer of Cricket coverage will feature broadcast technology including Raptor Cam during the India tour – a high-speed aerial camera that moves above and around the field to capture angles and perspectives not possible with traditional fixed cameras.

Sky says its innovation will also include Virtual Eye technology to provide real-time tracking, 3D graphics and analysis “as the action unfolds”, while a 26-camera set-up will bring viewers “closer to the action”.

The first T20 of the summer is scheduled for October 22 against India in Christchurch.

The Sri Lankan tour begins in January after the Blackcaps return from their tour of Australia.

The Bangladesh women arrive for three T20s and three ODIs in December.

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