New Delhi: New Zealand is all set to host South Africa in a five-game T20I series that is slated to begin on March 15. With both sides facing each other across five T20Is, NZC (New Zealand Cricket) came forward and announced that the duo of Mitchell Santner and Tom Latham will be sharing captaincy duties in the T20I series.
It is worth noting that Santner will be leading New Zealand for the first three T20Is of the series, whereas Latham will be leading the Black Caps for the last two matches.
Interestingly, Santner and many other stars were given breaks during the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026 to keep them ready for upcoming tours. including one to Bangladesh in April-May, following their tours to the West Indies and England in the latter stages of the year.
As for Tom Latham, he will be playing his first T20I in nearly three years. He was selected in the shortest format once more after his recent performances in the 20-over Super Smash and 50-over Ford Trophy.
Gavin Larsen gave his take on New Zealand’s squad
With the pragmatic squad selection, New Zealand’s selector Gavin Larsen came forward and talked about how lucky they were to have the squad depth that they have, which proved to be useful ahead of the side’s upcoming assignments.
“We’ve certainly had to be pragmatic in selecting this squad. We’re lucky to have strong depth across the different skill-sets which has afforded us the opportunity to rest a few players and introduce some others,” Larsen said in a NZC statement.
“That provides an excellent opportunity for many to stake their claim for regular inclusion in the T20 team moving forward as we begin a new World Cup cycle,” he added.
New Zealand T20I squad
Mitchell Santner (capt) (1-3), Katene Clarke (4-5), Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver (wk) (4-5), Devon Conway (wk) (1-3), Lockie Ferguson (2-3), Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Tom Latham (capt) (4-5), Jayden Lennox (4-5), Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi
