MItchell Santner to captain New Zealand full-time. Photo- Getty
MItchell Santner to captain New Zealand full-time. Photo- Getty

New Zealand has named their T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka. Mitchell Santner will captain the New Zealand team, succeeding Kane Williamson.

Santner replaced Kane Williamson, who resigned following the Blackcaps’ disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup 2024. Mitchell has already led the squad in four One-Day Internationals and 24 Twenty20 Internationals. He led the Black Caps in both forms during the team’s white-ball trip in Sri Lanka.

Experienced all-format players Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, and Matt Henry have also returned to the squad. All of these players have been included in both the ODI and T20I squads.

Aside from these players, fast bowling allrounder Nathan Smith is included in both squads after making his Test debut in the recent home series against England. The top-order batter only makes the ODI squad.

The T20Is will be played on December 28, 30, and January 2 before the ODIs on January 5, 8, and 11.

Bevon Jacobs earns maiden T20I call-up for New Zealand

Bevon Jacobs, a hard-hitting middle-order hitter, has received his first New Zealand call-up, being selected for the forthcoming three-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka. He scored 134 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 188.73 while batting as a finisher in an impressive Super Smash campaign last season.

Jacobs’ call-up comes just a month after he was selected by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 auction, alongside New Zealand international Trent Boult and new white-ball skipper Mitchell Santner.

“It’s obviously an exciting time for Bevon and his family. He’s a promising player with a lot of talent and we’re looking forward to exposing him to international cricket. He’s clearly got a lot of power with the bat, but he’s also shown in the longer formats that he has a decent technique and temperament,” NZ coach Gary Stead said.

Fast bowler Zakary Foulkes, wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay, and top-order batter Tim Robinson are also in the T20I team and might play their maiden international home games after debuting abroad earlier this year.

Foulkes and Robinson made their T20I debuts in Pakistan in April, while Hay debuted in Sri Lanka in November. Hay will keep wickets in the T20Is and provide support for Tom Latham in the ODIs that follow.

While Jacobs, Foulkes, and Robinson have only been called up for T20Is, Latham, Will Young, and Will O’Rourke will join the squad for one-day matches.

Many well-known players will be absent from New Zealand because to commitments to various franchise T20 leagues. Lockie Ferguson, Finn Allen, Adam Milne, and Tim Seifert are gone for the BBL, while Kane Williamson and Devon Conway are participating in the SA20, which begins on January 9.

New Zealand squads for white-ball series against Sri Lanka

New Zealand T20I squad: Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Nathan Smith.

New Zealand ODI squad: Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Will Young.

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