Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 23: New Zealand have picked a 16-player squad for the India series. Santner captains a seven-strong pace unit as Milne and Bracewell return.
New Zealand have named their squad for the India T20I series. Mitchell Santner will captain the 16-member group. The series marks New Zealand’s first squad of the home summer. A seven-player pace attack headlines the selection.
New Zealand Build Around Seven-Man Pace Unit
New Zealand have selected seven specialist pace options. These include Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry. Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and Nathan Smith complete the group. Milne returns after missing the recent T20 World Cup through injury. He brings 243 T20 matches, including 56 internationals. Milne last played for New Zealand against Zimbabwe over a year ago.
Bracewell Returns as Ravindra Misses T20Is
Spin all-rounder Michael Bracewell also returns from injury. He missed the T20 World Cup for the same reason. Rachin Ravindra, however, will miss the India series entirely. He dislocated his right shoulder during a promotional shoot. His rehabilitation is expected to take around six weeks. Ravindra is targeting New Zealand’s ODI series instead. That series begins November 4 at Eden Park, Auckland.
Allen and Seifert Reunited at the Top
Finn Allen and Tim Seifert return as New Zealand’s opening pair. Allen struck an unbeaten century from 33 balls recently. That innings came against South Africa in the World Cup semi-final. Seifert added 58 from 33 balls in the same match. New Zealand won that contest by nine wickets. Seifert was later named Player of the Tournament in The Hundred. He scored 394 runs there at a strike rate of 168. His campaign included 72 from 38 balls in the final.
T20 World Cup Core Remains
Thirteen players from New Zealand’s recent T20 World Cup squad remain. New Zealand had finished runners-up to India in that tournament. The retained core suggests strong continuity within the squad. Ben Sears was not considered for this series. He continues rehabilitation from an ankle injury.
India Tour Begins at Hagley Oval
The five-match T20I series starts October 22. Hagley Oval in Christchurch hosts the opening fixture. Matches will be played across four cities. The series runs across 11 days in total. It forms part of India’s wider 12-match New Zealand tour. That tour also includes five ODIs and two Tests. More than 76,000 tickets have already been sold, New Zealand Cricket said.
New Zealand’s T20I Squad
Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith.
New Zealand’s selection balances continuity with injury-enforced adjustments. The India series will test that squad depth directly.
