New Delhi, March 10 (NationPress) Mitchell Santner is set to captain an enlarged squad of the New Zealand men's cricket team in the forthcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa.

After finishing as runners-up in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 with a defeat to India by 96 runs, New Zealand aims to bounce back.

The series will commence on Sunday at Bay Oval, featuring double-header match days that will include the New Zealand women's national team as they face off against the South African women's T20I squad.

After the World Cup final loss to India in Ahmedabad, several Blackcaps players have returned home. The selectors have opted to effectively create two squads to manage player workloads.

Santner will be accompanied by Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson for the initial three matches. Players like Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Ben Sears, and Ish Sodhi are set to participate throughout the entire series given their lighter roles during the global competition.

The double-header matches are scheduled to follow swiftly after the opener, with fixtures at Seddon Park on Tuesday and Eden Park on Friday, March 20, before the final two matches in Wellington and Christchurch.

To acknowledge domestic talents, the squad includes emerging top-order batters Katene Clarke and Nick Kelly, along with spinner Jayden Lennox, who may earn their T20I debuts in this series. Clarke's selection follows an outstanding season in the Super Smash, where he topped the run charts with 431 runs, including an unbeaten century that led the Northern Brave to the domestic T20 title.

“Katene is a player we have monitored for some time, and it was fantastic to see him shine in the Super Smash, earning his first BLACKCAPS selection,” remarked selector Gavin Larsen. “He is an explosive batsman with considerable power and a diverse range of shots, capable of being destructive in the power play and also anchoring innings.”

Lennox received his first T20 call-up following a commendable ODI debut series against India in January, where he achieved figures of 3-84 in 20 overs against a formidable batting lineup. Kelly, a reliable player for the Wellington Firebirds, is getting his first T20 opportunity after making his ODI debut against Pakistan last year.

The extended squad also includes Josh Clarkson, Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs, and Tim Robinson for the entire five-match series. Clarkson returns to the lineup for the first time since participating in eight T20Is in 2024.

Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Tom Latham rejoins the T20 setup after a successful Super Smash season with the Canterbury Kings. He will take over captaincy from Santner for the final two matches.

“Tom's selection follows a strong Super Smash season at the top of the order for the Kings,” said Larsen. “His quality and experience, along with his leadership, will be invaluable as we prepare for the upcoming white-ball tour to Bangladesh in April.”

As Conway is set to depart after three matches, wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver will join the squad for the latter half of the series, marking his return to the Blackcaps setup since 2023.

Several regulars, including Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and Tim Seifert, will be absent from the series for rest following the World Cup. Fast bowler Matt Henry has been granted time off to spend with his newborn child.

New Zealand T20I squad:

Mitchell Santner (c), Katene Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver (wk), Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Tom Latham (wk), Jayden Lennox, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi.

Series schedule (T20I double-headers)

1st T20I - Bay Oval, Tauranga, March 15

2nd T20I - Seddon Park, Hamilton, March 17

3rd T20I - Eden Park, Auckland, March 20

4th T20I - Hnry Stadium, Wellington, March 22

5th T20I - Hagley Oval, Christchurch, March 25