New Zealand Squads for India Tour: New Zealand team is scheduled to tour India in January. A three-match ODI series will be followed by an exciting five-match T20 series between India and New Zealand. The New Zealand tour of India begins on January 11th. New Zealand has now announced its ODI and T20 squads for the tour. Michael Bracewell will captain the ODI team, while Mitchell Santner will lead the T20 side.
Jayden Lennox has received his first call-up to the international team. He earned this opportunity after impressive performances in domestic cricket. Regarding his selection, head coach Rob Walter said that he is a player the team management has been keeping a close eye on for some time and that he has the potential to consistently perform well for the Black Caps.
In a statement released by New Zealand Cricket, Walter said, "Jayden has been on our radar for quite some time and has good experience with the New Zealand 'A' team. He has been one of the top performers in domestic white-ball cricket for several seasons."
Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner will once again be seen playing for New Zealand, as both players have returned to the team. Jamieson has been included in the squad for both the ODI and T20 series, while Santner has been selected only for the T20 team. He has been out of the New Zealand team for a considerable time due to a groin injury. In Santner's absence, Michael Bracewell will captain the team in the ODI series, and he will be joined by players such as Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Will Young, and Henry Nicholls.
Additionally, Kane Williamson is not part of the ODI series. He is unavailable for selection in the ODI series due to his participation in the SA20 league. He will be playing in the SA20 at that time. Mitchell Hay will handle wicketkeeping duties in the ODI series, while Devon Conway will be the wicketkeeper in the T20I matches.
The squad has also been altered due to injury concerns. Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, and Mark Chapman are all out of the series due to injuries and are yet to regain full fitness. However, Chapman is expected to be available for the T20 series. Ben Sears, who recently returned from his stint in Melbourne, was also not selected for the ODI squad as he continues his recovery program.
Head coach Rob Walter highlighted the value of touring India at this stage of the cycle, noting that exposure to spin-friendly conditions will be vital for New Zealand’s World Cup ambitions.
“Playing in the sub-continent is obviously very different to what we’re used to in New Zealand, so any opportunity we can get to expose our guys to those conditions can only be a good thing, especially prior to a T20 World Cup in the subcontinent.”
New Zealand ODI Squad: Michael Bracewell (c), Adi Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Will Young.
New Zealand T20I Squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi.
