IND vs NZ: New Zealand make massive changes to their squad for last two T20Is; two key stars return
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
New Zealand have already lost the T20I series against India.
New Zealand Cricket Team will aim for a massive comeback in the upcoming two T20Is against Indian Cricket Team. The Mitchell Santner & Co. have already lost the five-match series, facing back-to-back setbacks in the first three encounters.
In the first T20I in Nagpur, the Black Caps were helpless against the gigantic 239-run target, finishing with 190/7 to lose by a huge margin of 48 runs. They posted 208/6 in the second game in Raipur, however, the Men-in-Blue chased it down by seven wickets in around 15 overs.
In the do-or-die game in Guwahati on January 25 (Sunday), the visitors failed to put up a respectable total after being asked to bat first. They added 153/9 on the scoreboard in the first innings, which was chased by India in a record 10 overs.
While Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan grabbed Player of the Match awards in the first two games for their match-winning fifties, Jasprit Bumrah stole the honour in the third game for his three-wicket haul.
New Zealand makes new changes to their squad for the last two games
Interestingly, the Mitchell Santner-led side have made multiple changes to their squad for the final two encounters. To begin with, pacers Kristian Clarke and batter Tim Robinson have been released from the squad.
Moreover, pacer Lockie Ferguson and opener Finn Allen have been added to squad. While Ferguson has returned to the field after recovering from a calf injury, Allen will make a comeback to the national side after completing his commitments in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26. Allen will join the squad on Thursday ahead of the final T20I clash.
In an official post on X (formerly Twitter), Cricket New Zealand (NZC) announced the two changes in their squad ahead of the next two matches. The IND vs NZ 4th T20I will be played on January 28 at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
“Kristian Clarke and Tim Robinson have been released from the BLACKCAPS T20 squad in India with Jimmy Neesham, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert now in camp. Finn Allen will be the final squad member to join the side on Thursday in Trivandrum,” they posted on X.
New Zealand’s updated squad for T20I series against India:
Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy. James Neesham, Michael Bracewell, Bevon Jacobs, Zakary Foulkes, Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson.
Who is leading the IND vs NZ T20I series?
India is leading the five-match series 3-0.
How many matches will take place during T20I series between India and New Zealand?
Five T20Is will be played between India and New Zealand.
Who won Player of the Match in IND vs NZ 3rd T20I?
Jasprit Bumrah won Player of the Match in IND vs NZ 3rd T20I.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.