New Zealand have announced their T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka. Young allrounder Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell return to the side after missing the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
Big-hitter Bevon Jacobs is the only uncapped player in the squad. Jacob had an excellent season in domestic cricket and is known for his explosive batting. He was also signed by Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 mega auction for INR 30 lakh.
Also read: England squad for India T20Is announced; Jos Buttler named captain
New Zealand announces T20I and ODI squads for home series against Sri Lanka
ICYMI | Our T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming KFC T20I and Chemist Warehouse ODI series’ against @OfficialSLC 🏏 #SLvNZ pic.twitter.com/K5UqBLaRbm
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 22, 2024
The squads will be led by the spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner. It will be Santner’s first assignment as a full-time New Zealand captain after he was appointed for the role just a few days ago.
Santner replaced Kane Williamson at the role, who resigned after Blackcaps’ poor outing in the T20 World Cup 2024. Mitchell has already led the team in 4 ODIs and 24 T20Is. He led the Blackcaps across both the formats in the team’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
Experienced all-format players like Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, and Matt Henry also mark their return to the squad. All these players have been included in both the ODI and T20I squads.
Apart from these players, fast bowling allrounder Nathan Smith is also a part of both squads after making his Test debut recently in the home series against England. The top-order batter only finds a place in the ODI squad.
Bevon Jacobs the only uncapped player
Meanwhile, Bevon Jacobs is a surprise inclusion in the T20I squad, which looks well-settled and experienced. Jacobs has played just 9 T20s so far but has an impressive record. He has scored 134 runs while batting down the order at an average of 33.50 and a strike rate of 188.73.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) selector Sam Wells spoke highly of Jacobs while announcing the squad. He revealed that Wells has the power and strength that can make him an asset for this team.
“He’s (Sam Wells) a promising player with a lot of talent and we’re looking forward to exposing him to international cricket. He’s clearly got a lot of power with the bat, but he’s also shown in the longer formats that he has a decent technique and temperament,” Wells said.
Bevon Jacobs could potentially make his debut in the series as the Kiwis look to build on their T20I side after the debacle in the T20 World Cup 2024. The T20I squad looks solid and explosive with the likes of Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, and Glenn Phillips.
Sri Lanka will tour New Zealand for three T20Is and three ODIs. The tour will start with the T20I series beginning from December 28 and the subsequent ODI series will begin from January 5.
New Zealand squads for white-ball series against Sri Lanka
New Zealand T20I squad: Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Nathan Smith.
New Zealand ODI squad: Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Will Young.