New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) Mitchell Santner will lead an expanded New Zealand men's cricket team squad in the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa.

New Zealand finished second in ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 after losing India to 96 runs.

The series will kick off at Bay Oval on Sunday. It will feature double-header match days alongside the New Zealand women's national team and the South Africa women's T20I series.

Several Blackcaps players returned home after losing the World Cup final to India in Ahmedabad. Selectors have decided to effectively name two squads to manage player workloads.

Santner will be joined by Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson for the first three matches. Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Ben Sears, and Ish Sodhi are available for the entire series after lighter workloads during the global tournament.

The double-header matches will follow quickly after the opener. The schedule includes games at Seddon Park on Tuesday and Eden Park on Friday, March 20, before the last two matches in Wellington and Christchurch.

New Zealand also recognized domestic performers by including top-order batters Katene Clarke and Nick Kelly, along with spinner Jayden Lennox, who are in line to make their T20I debuts during the series. Clarke received his first call-up after an impressive Super Smash season where he led the tournament's run charts with 431 runs, including an unbeaten century that helped Northern Brave win the domestic T20 title.

“Katene is someone we've been watching for a while now, so it was great to see him excel in the Super Smash and earn his first BLACKCAPS selection,” said selector Gavin Larsen. “He's an explosive player with plenty of power and a variety of shots. He has shown he can be destructive in the power play, but he can also bat deep in an innings.”

Lennox earned his first T20 call-up after a strong performance during his ODI debut series against India in January. He recorded figures of 3-84 across 20 overs against a competitive batting line-up. Kelly has been a reliable performer for the Wellington Firebirds and gets 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 makes his return to the side for the first time since playing in eight T20Is in 2024.

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

“Tom's selection comes after a strong Super Smash season at the top of the order for the Kings,” Larsen said. “He will bring his quality and experience, but equally important is his leadership, which we will also call on for the upcoming white-ball tour to Bangladesh in April.”

With Conway set to leave after three matches, wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver will join the squad for the second half of the series. This marks his first appearance in the Blackcaps setup since 2023.

Several regulars, including Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and Tim Seifert will miss the series to rest after the World Cup. Fast bowler Matt Henry has been given 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

--IANS

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