Squad analysis: Can New Zealand taste glory in T20 WC?
What's the story
New Zealand have named a strong squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, with a strong emphasis on spin. The team, captained by Mitchell Santner, combines experienced players and in-form performers. This comes after their early exit in the last edition of the tournament. Notably, the Kiwis have been drawn into Group D with Afghanistan, South Africa, UAE, and Canada. Here we dissect New Zealand's squad for the mega event.
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Here is NZ's squad for the tournament
Squad: Mitchell Santner (capt), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
Tactical approach
New Zealand's spin-heavy approach
As New Zealand are slated to play three league matches at Chennai's Chepauk stadium, a venue known for aiding spin, they have packed their squad with proven slow-bowling options. The attack is led by the experienced duo of Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi. Both bowlers own over 130 T20I wickets. All-rounders Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips, and Rachin Ravindra can also contribute with handy spin bowling.
Rising star
Henry leads the pace attack
Matt Henry, who has been in phenomenal form lately, will lead the pace attack. He will be supported by Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy, and Kyle Jamieson to give New Zealand a well-rounded fast-bowling unit. Notably, Duffy ended 2025 with 81 international wickets and is currently among the top-ranked T20I bowlers in ICC Rankings. Meanwhile, Ferguson did exceedingly well in the past two T20 WC editions.
Batters
These are the prominent batters
The Kiwis have several in-form batters to power the team. While Finn Allen was the highest run-getter of the 2025-26 Big Bash League, Tim Seifert's 559 T20I runs in 2025 came at an average of 50.81 (SR: 164.4). Coming to the middle-order, the likes of Mark Chapman, Ravindra, and Daryl Mitchell have been operating with 148-plus strike rates since the start of 2025 (T20Is). Besides Seifert, Devon Conway, another proven star in T20Is, is the other wicket-keeper in the team.
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Plenty of all-rounders
The presence of several three-dimensional players allows NZ to be flexible with their line-up as per the track conditions. While Bracewell, Phillips, and Ravindra can chip in with their spin-bowling besides scoring vital runs, Neesham is the pace-bowling all-rounder.
Concerns
Are there any concerns?
Death bowling can be an issue for the Kiwis as Ferguson is the only one in the pace-bowling department who is known to control runs toward the end. Fitness issues can also be a matter of concern for the Kiwis, as the likes of Neesham and Ferguson are prone to injuries. Notably, the Kiwis have already lost Adam Milne due to a hamstring injury.