New Zealand are depleted, but count them out at your own peril

They have injury concerns, and impending paternity leaves, but there are back-ups in place and the batting might be strong enough to paper over the cracks in the bowling

Deivarayan Muthu

02-Feb-2026 • 4 hrs ago

Group fixtures

vs Afghanistan in Chennai, February 8

vs UAE in Chennai, February 10

vs South Africa in Ahmedabad, February 14

vs Canada in Chennai, February 17

Big picture: Injury crisis for NZ

New Zealand have been in India for around three weeks, but injuries and their players' participation in franchise T20 cricket have denied them an opportunity to put their full-strength XI on the park, in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. With Adam Milne already ruled out of the tournament and their other X-factor quick, Lockie Ferguson, just working his way back from a calf injury, and Mark Chapman also reportedly nursing a hip niggle, New Zealand are searching for their best XI.

Related

Matt Henry goes from surplus to strike force

Ferguson and Matt Henry, who has evolved to become an all-format strike force, may also take paternity leave during the tournament. It also remains to be seen if Michael Bracewell, who was sidelined from the T20I series against India with a calf injury, is fit for their opening fixture against Afghanistan in Chennai on February 8.

Their batting, though, looks in much healthier shape, especially after the arrival of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert from the Big Bash League. While smashing pace is the pair's stronger suit, they have also improved against spin, thanks to their T20 stints around the world. Rachin Ravindra is yet to crack T20s, but Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Bracewell (if fit) and Jimmy Neesham all bring middle-order firepower and some of them can also function as disruptors.

Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi could have a bigger role to play in Chennai, where New Zealand will play three of their four league games. With all three set to be day games at Chepauk, expect Bracewell and Phillips to also pitch in with their offspin in the absence of dew.

While there are some holes in the side, New Zealand's collective strength and scouting could help them plug those.

Recent form

New Zealand were blown away by India in a five-match series, in which Santner's men managed to win just one match, in Visakhapatnam. Prior to that, they beat West Indies 3-1 at home.

Players to watch: Finn Allen and Jacob Duffy

From being a powerplay basher in the Super Smash, Finn Allen has transformed into a more versatile batter. Since the previous T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA, where New Zealand failed to make it out of the first round, Allen has made some technical tweaks, including ditching his trigger movement and trying to be as stable as possible while meeting the ball.

It has taken his game to a new level against spin too. From January 2017 until the end of 2023, he had a strike rate of 165 against spin and was dismissed 28 times by this variety of bowling in 68 innings. Since mid-2024, that strike rate against spin has jumped to 207.50 and he has been dismissed 15 times by spin in 30 innings.

Set to play his first World Cup, Jacob Duffy, who was the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler not too long ago, bowls the tough overs for New Zealand in the powerplay and at the death. In the post-Boult-and-Southee era, and in the potential absence of Ferguson and Henry at some point during the competition, Duffy is shaping up as the bowling spearhead. Flat pitches may not faze him as he is used to operating in such conditions at the University Oval in Dunedin.

Last hurrah?

Neesham will be 37 when the 2027 ODI World Cup arrives and 38 when New Zealand co-host of the 2028 T20 World Cup. He hasn't played an ODI since the 2023 World Cup and with the next-gen allrounders such as Kristian Clarke and Zak Foulkes emerging from the pathway system, it's hard to see him featuring in another ICC event though T20 franchises continue to value him as an allrounder. After the heartbreaks in 2019 and 2023, this may be his final shot at World Cup redemption.

Best XI

1 Finn Allen, 2 Tim Seifert (wk), 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Mark Chapman, 7 Jimmy Neesham/Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Lockie Ferguson/Kyle Jamieson, 10 & 11 Two among Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy and Ish Sodhi

Poll question

Deivarayan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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