NZ Call Up Debutant Kristian Clarke to the T20I Squad After Dismissing Virat Kohli Twice in India ODIs

Kiwis had a little bit of change to their squad for the T20Is, which will take place against India. The Kiwis have won an unbelievable 2-1 series in ODIs and are now looking to have a good series in India too, while keeping their eyes set on the T20 World Cup 2026. Kristian Clarke, who made his debut for his country in ODIs and has been performing well too, has been included in the T20I team of New Zealand.

Kristian Clarke Included in New Zealand’s T20I Squad After Impressive ODI Debut Against India

New Zealand coach Rob Walter has revealed that the first three T20 matches for India will feature the inclusion of Clarke, to be played in Nagpur, Raipur, and Guwahati. The reason for his inclusion in the side is that a few players for New Zealand are taking the field with injuries, whereas Michael Bracewell, the one who led them in the ODI series, got injured in the 3rd ODI match while taking the field with a small strain on his left calf muscles, but is traveling with the team to Nagpur.

Walter said that,

“We’ve got a fair bit of player movement at the moment with some guys returning from injury for this series, others joining us immediately from franchise cricket and the rest coming off the India ODI series and Super Smash. We want to ensure we’ve got enough pace-bowling options for the first three games of this series and it’s a great opportunity for Kristian to stay on with the group a little longer on his first tour of India,”

“He certainly showcased his talent in the ODI series, but what was particularly impressive was his calmness and ability to perform under pressure.”

New Zealand has achieved a remarkable victory in the ODI series against India in their first-ever ODI series victory in the country. Although Daryl Mitchell received the Player of the Series award, there was one man who has done his job perfectly is Kristian Clarke in the debut series. Not only did Kristian end up as a lead wicket-taker in the 3-match series having taken 7 wickets, but it was also a matter of whom he got to get out. Kristian Clarke got his first international wicket in Harshit Rana in the 1st ODI, a man who had a brilliant cameo in that match.

In the next two matches, he got out of Virat Kohli twice, Shreyas Iyer twice, and Rohit Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy once each. This is quite a debut series for Clarke, as he has even impressed Ravichandran Ashwin with his variations and planning. The tall and medium-pace all-rounder got ample benefits out of clever variations. It is quite interesting to know if he will be able to perform in the T20 internationals as well.

New Zealand’s T20I squad vs India

Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi, Kristian Clarke (first 3 games).

New Zealand’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad

Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

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by Dwijesh January 20, 2026