New Zealand India tour team:- New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has made a clear investment in the future as they have announced a squad full of new faces for the upcoming India tour, while several key stars have been rested. The selection strategy prioritizes building depth for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has been rested to manage his workload for the three-match ODI series in India. Kane Williamson is also not a part of the ODI team. In Santner’s absence, Michael Bracewell has been given the responsibility of captaining the team in ODIs.
New Zealand ODI team announced, Michael Bracewell made captain
Apart from Santner and Williamson, Matt Henry, Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra have also been rested from the ODI series against India as New Zealand look to keep key players fresh for the long and demanding season ahead, including the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and WTC 2025-27 matches.
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The T20I and ODI squads have seen the return of several senior players, while young and in-form names have been rewarded for their recent performances. Jayden Lennox, Christian Clarke, Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson are among the emerging players selected for the India tour.
Michael Roy, who made a brilliant international debut in the second Test against West Indies, has also got a place in the team. Meanwhile, Kyle Jamieson is all set to play a key role on the India tour, having been named in both the squads following his recovery.
NZ T20I Team India: Senior core returns with youth injection
On the other hand, Mark Chapman and Matt Henry, who have been rested for the ODI series, are set to return for the five-match T20I series against India. At the same time, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has decided to rest or carefully manage several players due to injuries and workload concerns.
Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner and Mark Chapman were not selected for the ODI series as they are recovering from arm, shoulder and ankle problems respectively. However, Chapman is progressing well and is expected to be ready for the T20I leg of the India tour.
NZC said Ben Sears is still working on his return-to-play programme, which has kept him out of ODI selection. Well, Williamson will not play in the ODI series due to his SA20 commitments. Mitch Haye has been named as the wicketkeeper for the ODI series, while Devon Conway will take over the keeping duties in the T20I series against the Indian cricket team.
Coach Rob Walter explains the selection of Jayden Lennox in the New Zealand India tour team
The India tour will be a special moment for Jayden Lennox, as the left-arm spinner has received his first international call-up after a stellar performance for the A team. Another new face is also included in the ODI team, in which Christian Clarke has got a chance to make his debut in India.
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New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said of Lennox’s selection: “Jaden has been a recognized player of interest for some time and has some good New Zealand “A” experience. He has consistently been one of the top performers in white-ball cricket at domestic level for several seasons.”
New Zealand team for India tour:
ODI: Michael Bracewell (captain), Adi Ashok, Christian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Jack Foulkes, Mitch Hay (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rai, Will Young, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls.
T20I: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Jacob Duffy, Jack Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi.
