New Zealand Announced 15-Player Squad for T20 Tri-Series in Zimbabwe

New Zealand has named a 15-player squad for next month’s T20 tri-series against South Africa and hosts Zimbabwe, with several important players making their return to the team.

The Black Caps are bringing back Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and captain Mitchell Santner for the upcoming tri-series at Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe. The trio had missed the last T20 series against Pakistan at home in March.

Uncapped batter Bevon Jacobs and fast bowler Adam Milne have been called up to the squad. Meanwhile, pacers Ben Sears (side injury), Lockie Ferguson (resting), and Kyle Jamieson (family reasons) are all unavailable, along with experienced batter Kane Williamson, who is also not available for selection.

Rob Walter Eyes Strong Start with Black Caps Ahead of T20 World Cup

The series will be the first for new Black Caps coach Rob Walter and will be an important part of the team’s build-up to next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

“I think we’ve got a really strong squad for this tour and I’m looking forward to getting the team together and getting into the work. We’ve got some good experience in the side and it’s nice to be able to welcome back a few of the players who missed the March series against Pakistan because of the IPL," Walter said.

“It should be a great T20 tri-series with South Africa who are a very strong side and Zimbabwe who play well at home in their own conditions," he said.

Walter sees the tri-series as key preparation for 2026 T20 World Cup

Walter is looking to use the tri-series as a chance to test out different combinations and see what might work best for the 2026 T20 World Cup. 

“With the T20 World Cup around the corner, all of our upcoming series are critically important to our build up. This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition,” he added.

New Zealand will play their first match of the tri-series against South Africa in Harare on July 16.

New Zealand squad: Mitch Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

Tri-Series Schedule

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