New Zealand Cricket on Wednesday announced a 16-member squad for the five-match T20I series against India, with white-ball captain Mitchell Santner set to lead the Blackcaps during their home summer opener. The series will begin on 22 October at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
The squad features a strong pace-bowling contingent, with seven fast bowlers included in the group. Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, Zak Foulkes and Nathan Smith form the pace options selected for the series.
Milne returns to the T20I squad after missing the 2026 because of injury. Michael Bracewell, who was also unavailable for the World Cup because of injury, has likewise been included in the squad for the India series.
Thirteen players from the New Zealand side that finished runners-up to India at this year’s T20 World Cup have been selected. The group includes Santner, Finn Allen, Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Duffy, Ferguson, Henry, Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert and Smith.
is the notable absentee from the squad. The all-rounder dislocated his right shoulder during a promotional shoot in Auckland on 16 September. New Zealand Cricket had initially said that his availability for the India T20Is would depend on his rehabilitation, but he has now been ruled out of the five-match series.
Ravindra sustained the injury while attempting a diving catch during the shoot. Initial medical assessments found no major structural damage, with his rehabilitation timeline to be determined by his progress.
“We’re gutted for Rachin. He’s going to play a big role for us this summer, so it’s important that he doesn’t rush his rehab, but we’re optimistic he’ll be back for the ODIs,” New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said in an official statement.
Walter also spoke on the inclusion of Milne, who last played for New Zealand in July 2025.
“We’re very fortunate with the depth that we’ve got to call upon, so we’ll look to use all squad members throughout the series as we manage workloads. India is a quality team and a challenging opposition, so to take them on in our own conditions in front of Kiwi fans is really exciting. We’ve got a near full-strength squad that covers all bases, and I’m excited to see how we compete against the current T20 world champions,” he said.
New Zealand squad for India T20Is: Mitchell Santner (capt), 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.
