MI’s Secret Weapon Retained, Henry-Milne Returns As NZ Name Squad For T20 Tri-Series VS SA & Zimbabwe | Cricket News
New Zealand has announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe. Mitchell Santner continues to lead the side, but the squad has seen some notable changes with their pacer Adam Milne returning to the side proving to be a big boost for the team. Along with Milne, Matt Henry also returns to the squad after suffering a shoulder injury keeping him out of any action since ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Interestingly Mumbai India’s secret weapon Bevon Jacobs is still retained in the squad. Jacobs is yet to make his debut in any format for the Kiwis.
Williamson Absent, Lockie Rested
New Zealand’s former skipper Kane Williamson is not part of the squad as he made himself unavailable for selection. Lockie Ferguson has been rested considering his workload management and another pacer Ben Sears is out due to an injury. Devon Conway can also miss the series and we can see Tim Seifert in his role.
Rob Walter’s First Assignment
This is the first assignment for their new head coach Rob Walter – “I think we’ve got a really strong squad for this tour and I’m looking forward to getting the team together and getting into the work. We’ve got some good experience in the side and it’s nice to be able to welcome back a few of the players who missed the March series against Pakistan because of the IPL. It should be a great T20 Tri Series with South Africa who are a very strong side and Zimbabwe who play well at home in their own conditions,” he said.
Walter Backed 23-year-old Bevon Jacobs who may get to play this series.
“Bevon’s been an outstanding performer in domestic cricket and has gained some experience in franchise leagues around the world, so it’ll be a good chance for him to get back into the squad and potentially play. Adam’s a really skilled T20 bowler, he’s particularly proficient with the ball up front and brings that extra pace and bounce. With the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears and Kyle Jamieson out it’s great to be able to lean on an experienced head in Adam,” he said.
Perfect Rehearsal for T20 World Cup 2026
“With the T20 World Cup around the corner, all of our upcoming series are critically important to our build up. This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition,” he added.
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchel, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi
