New Zealand has announced a strong 15-member squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe, marking the return of key players including Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and captain Mitchell Santner. The series, set to be played at Harare Sports Club in July, will also feature South Africa and hosts Zimbabwe.
The returning trio had missed New Zealand’s most recent T20I series against Pakistan in March due to IPL commitments. Joining them in the squad are uncapped batter Bevon Jacobs and pacer Adam Milne, offering fresh firepower to the team under newly appointed head coach Rob Walter.
Several frontline pacers will miss the tour. Ben Sears is out with a side strain, Lockie Ferguson is being managed for workload, Kyle Jamieson is unavailable due to family reasons, and senior batter Kane Williamson is also absent from the squad.
Coach Rob Walter expressed confidence in the squad’s balance and emphasized the importance of the series in the build-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. “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,” Walter noted. “This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition.”
New Zealand will open their tri-series campaign against South Africa on July 16 in Harare. Walter hopes the tournament will help fine-tune combinations and provide a competitive platform leading into the World Cup preparations.
New Zealand Squad: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.