India vs NZ T20Is: Powerplay on TikTok, but Indian fans need Sony
New Zealand Cricket is trying something new for the India tour. The opening six overs of the first T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, will be shown live and free on the board's TikTok account. The feed will be in vertical, phone-friendly format. The board has called this a first for international cricket.
The TikTok window covers only the Powerplay, the stretch with fielding restrictions where most of the early boundaries and wickets come. The feed is expected to start with the pre-match rituals, including the Maori challenge and both national anthems. It is being produced with Sky and the sports-technology firm WSC Sports. The board's marketing chief said the Powerplay is a bite-sized product suited to a younger, TikTok-first audience.
Some fixture guides say the whole series will be on the platform. The board's own announcement, though, refers only to the first Powerplay of the first match. Treat anything beyond that as unconfirmed for now. The board has also not said whether the TikTok stream will be available outside New Zealand.
**What Indian fans should do**
TikTok has been blocked in India since 2021, so this stream is aimed at New Zealand audiences. Indian fans should stick to the established route. The five-match series is televised on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on SonyLIV. Every match starts at 12:30 pm IST, which is 8 pm local time in New Zealand.
Elsewhere, Sky Sport carries the series in New Zealand. The full first match will also be free on Three and ThreeNow. Willow TV has the rights in the United States. Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports show it in Australia, and TNT Sports in the United Kingdom.
**The series at a glance**
The series runs from October 22 to November 1 across four grounds:
- 1st T20I, Thursday, October 22: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
- 2nd T20I, Saturday, October 24: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
- 3rd T20I, Tuesday, October 27: Wellington
- 4th T20I, Friday, October 30: Eden Park, Auckland
- 5th T20I, Sunday, November 1: Seddon Park, Hamilton
Shreyas Iyer captains India, with Tilak Varma as his deputy. Mitchell Santner leads the hosts. India's squad has a mix of established names and fresh faces, including Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel and the teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
**The context**
The two sides last met in a T20 format at the World Cup final in Ahmedabad in March, so there is plenty of recent history. India went into that game chasing a record third men's T20 title. New Zealand were chasing a first. A five-game contest on their home pitches gives the Black Caps a chance to answer back.
For India, this is also a chance to see how a new-look leadership group handles conditions that tend to help seamers. The early overs will matter a great deal. Powerplay batting from Abhishek, Samson and Kishan will set the tone, and that is exactly the phase the TikTok feed will show.
The TikTok experiment is a small one, but it shows how boards are chasing younger viewers who may not sit through a full match. If the Powerplay stream draws a good audience, expect other boards to try the same with their home series. Indian fans, meanwhile, can follow the series as usual on Sony.