The T20I series between New Zealand and India will kick off in Nagpur on January 21, and the New Zealand team has made a few adjustments to their squad.
Squad Changes for the New Zealand Team Before T20I Series
All-rounder Kristian Clarke, who was originally brought on to the squad only for the first three matches of the five-match series, is now going to be with the team throughout the entire series.
In those three outings, he captured a total of seven wickets, two of whom were the former Indian captain Virat Kohli whom he dismissed twice.
Rob Walter, the New Zealand coach, said that the main reason for including Clarke in the squad was to facilitate the management of the quick-bowling group.
“We would like to make sure that we have enough fast-bowling options for the opening three games of the series and it’s a wonderful chance for Kristian to remain with the group a little longer on his initial tour to India,” Rob remarked.
In the meantime, left-hander Michael Bracewell has been added to the squad that has reached Nagpur after a minor left-calf strain sustained while fielding in the third ODI in Indore. Coach Rob Walter mentioned that Bracewell would be undergoing treatment and being supervised before a decision about his participation in the rest of the tour is made.
Fellow pacer Adam Milne is also under evaluation after he tweaked the left hamstring while bowling for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 on the previous Sunday.
This T20I series will mark New Zealand’s final preparation before the T20 World Cup, which starts on February 7.
New Zealand Squad for India T20Is
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 (games 1, 2, 3), Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Tim Seifert.
India vs New Zealand T20I Series Schedule
Wed, January 21, 2026
7:00 PM: 1st T20I (Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur)
Fri, January 23, 2026
7:00 PM: 2nd T20I (Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur)
Sun, January 25, 2026
7:00 PM: 3rd T20I (Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati)
Wed, January 28, 2026
7:00 PM: 4th T20I (ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam)
Sat, January 31, 2026
7:00 PM: 5th T20I (Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram)