ICC T20 World Cup 2026: ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is being jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and will begin on February 7th. A total of 20 teams are participating in the tournament, including New Zealand. The New Zealand cricket board has announced its 15-member squad for this important tournament, which includes several players who are not yet fully fit. New Zealand has been placed in Group D for the upcoming T20 World Cup, and will begin its campaign on February 8th against Afghanistan.
New Zealand has announced its 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, with the captaincy handed to experienced spinner Mitchell Santner, who has been a key part of the team for a considerable time. The squad also includes Finn Allen and Mark Chapman, both of whom are returning to the field after recovering from injuries. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is also included, despite currently struggling with fitness issues and not having played any international cricket since November 2024.
New Zealand cricket board also issued a statement regarding these players, clarifying that all players would be brought back into the team only after being fully fit through a planned rehabilitation program, and that all would be available before the tournament begins. The Kiwi squad also includes Adam Milne, who last played a match in July 2025, and Jimmy Neesham.
New Zealand's team sees the return of explosive opener Finn Allen. He last played for the Kiwi team in March 2025, after which he has been playing in T20 leagues. Now he will be looking to wreak havoc in the World Cup. This is the same player who has hit 19 sixes in a single T20 innings. In that innings, he completed his century in just 34 balls. Finn played this innings for the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025. He scored 151 runs off 51 balls, which included 19 sixes. He also holds the record for hitting the most sixes in a single T20 innings.
Ish Sodhi, who is New Zealand’s second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is, is the lone specialist spinner in the squad that also features the likes of Mark Chapman, Jimmy Neesham and Daryl Mitchell.
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter is excited by the challenge of the upcoming tournament, and believes the group is well-balanced to deal with the conditions of the sub-continent.
“World Cups are special and there’s few better places to play one than in India, which is very much the heartbeat of the modern game," Walter said.
“As always, the balance of the squad is critical.
“We’ve got plenty of power and skill in the batting, quality bowlers who can adapt to conditions, plus five all-rounders who all bring something slightly different.
“This is an experienced group and the players are no strangers to playing in the sub-continent, which will be valuable."
New Zealand Squad : Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
Travelling Reserve: Kyle Jamieson.
New Zealand’s Schedule for T20 World Cup 2026
New Zealand has been placed in Group D of the T20 World Cup 2026, alongside Afghanistan, South Africa, Canada, and the UAE. New Zealand will play their first match against Afghanistan in Chennai on February 8th, followed by their second match against the UAE on February 10th. They will then face South Africa in their third match on February 14th at a stadium in Ahmedabad, and their final group stage match will be against Canada on February 17th in Chennai.
