T20 World Cup 2026: New Zealand cricket team has announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. In this team, fast bowler Jacob Duffy has got a place for the World Cup for the first time. Duffy had a brilliant performance last year, in which he took 81 wickets in international matches. His consistently good bowling has impressed the selectors and he will now represent New Zealand on the big stage.

Team captaincy and major changes

The command of the team will be in the hands of experienced all-rounder Mitchell Santner. There is a good mix of some young and experienced players in the team. Tim Robinson, Bevan Jacobs and Zachary Foulkes did not get a place in the team. At the same time, fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has been selected as the traveling reserve player.

Strong bowling and batting lineup

New Zealand’s bowling is looking very strong. Apart from Duffy, fast bowlers like Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Adam Milne are included. James Neesham will provide additional options. In the spin department, there will be a pair of Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, who can prove to be effective on the pitches of the subcontinent.

In batting, there are explosive openers like Finn Allen, while Devon Conway, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Darryl Mitchell will strengthen the middle order. Tim Seifert will handle the responsibility of wicketkeeping. There are five all-rounders in the team, who will maintain balance in every situation.

coach’s confidence

Head coach Rob Walter has expressed full confidence in the team. He said that there is no better place than India for a big tournament like the World Cup. The team has skill, experience and good knowledge of the conditions of the subcontinent. The coach hopes that this team will make New Zealand proud. The special thing is that Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson may get paternity leave during the tournament, in such a situation Jamieson’s role can be important.

Group stage schedule

New Zealand has been placed in Group D along with Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa and UAE. The team will play its first match against Afghanistan on 8 February in Chennai. Two days later, there will be a clash with UAE on the same ground. There will be a match against South Africa in Ahmedabad on 14th February and the last match of the group stage will be played against Canada in Chennai on 17th February.