New Zealand has announced its white-ball squads for the upcoming tour of India, with Michael Bracewell appointed as captain of the ODI side in Mitchell Santner’s absence, while Santner is set to return as captain for the T20I squad.
A notable inclusion is left-arm pacer Jayden Lennox, who earns his maiden call-up to New Zealand’s white-ball teams. Lennox joins uncapped bowling allrounders Kristian Clarke, Adithya Ashok, seam-bowling allrounder Josh Clarkson, and fast bowler Michael Rae, who recently made his Test debut against the West Indies.
Bracewell will lead a 15-member ODI squad, stepping in for Santner whose groin injury is still being managed. The T20I squad boasts experienced names such as Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson, along with Mark Chapman and Matt Henry, both returning from injuries. Henry will miss the ODI series to continue his calf rehabilitation but aims to be fit for the T20Is and the upcoming men’s T20 World Cup.
Kane Williamson will be unavailable for the ODIs due to his commitments in the SA20 league, representing Durban’s Supergiants. Meanwhile, Clarke had previously been called up to both the ODI squad against England and the Test squad versus West Indies but did not debut. Other players such as Nathan Smith, William O’Rourke, and Blair Tickner were unavailable due to various injuries, and Tom Latham will miss the ODIs for the birth of his third child.
Kyle Jamieson and Zak Foulkes feature in both white-ball squads, while Rachin Ravindra and Jacob Duffy are rested from the ODIs following a busy domestic season. Head coach Rob Walter highlighted Lennox’s potential, noting his strong performances in New Zealand “A” cricket and domestic white-ball competitions, including eight wickets in five Ford Trophy games for Central Districts this season.
Walter emphasized the importance of exposing players to subcontinental conditions ahead of the T20 World Cup. “Playing in the subcontinent is very different from New Zealand, so these opportunities are valuable for preparation,” he said.
Wicketkeeping duties will be handled by Mitchell Hay in the ODIs and Devon Conway in the T20Is. Additionally, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Finn Allen, and Tim Seifert are scheduled to join the T20I squad later in the series to prepare for the T20 World Cup.
The tour will commence with the ODIs from January 11 in Vadodara, followed by a five-match T20I series starting January 21 in Nagpur. The selections reflect a mix of youth and experience, aimed at balancing squad depth with opportunities for emerging talent.
New Zealand ODI squad vs India: Michael Bracewell (capt), Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Will Young
New Zealand T20I squad vs India: Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi
