New Zealand have made multiple changes to their T20I squad after finding themselves 0-2 down against India in the five-match series. The Black Caps lost both the opening matches of the series by four wickets as they failed to defend challenging totals on both the occasions.
Pacer Lockie Ferguson will not travel to Wellington with the team for the third T20I scheduled for Tuesday, and instead head to Auckland, where the fourth T20I will be played on Friday.
He will be available for the fourth and fifth T20Is that will take place in Auckland and Hamilton respectively. Matt Henry, another pacer, will stay back in Christchurch and will miss the rest of the three T20Is.
He will later head to Auckland ahead of the first ODI between New Zealand and India that has been scheduled for 4 November.
Kyle Jamieson, Blair Tickner to join squad in Wellington
Kyle Jamieson will head to Wellington for the third T20I against India and will remain there to take part in Canterbury’s Ford Trophy match against Wellington on 31 October. He will then join the Kiwis for the ODI series in Auckland. Jamieson didn’t play either of the first two T20Is against the Men in Blue.
Pacer Blair Tickner is expected to join the squad for the third T20I in Wellington and will be available for the rest of the series. All-rounder Josh Clarkson will join the squad in Auckland for the fourth and fifth T20Is.
Pacer Matt Fisher has been named as a backup player for the third T20I. He will, however, rejoin the New Zealand A squad in time for their second unofficial Test against India scheduled to star from 31 October in Christchurch.
“It’s been a competitive start to the T20 series with two close games and plenty more cricket to come,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said via a statement.
“We’re very fortunate with the depth in the squad to be able to call upon different players to help manage our pacers workloads, and to try and ensure they’re best placed to perform for the team for all the cricket coming up,” he added.
The five-match T20I series and the five-match ODI series will be followed by a two-match Test series between New Zealand and India, with both the matches being part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.