New Zealand announces strong T20I squad for England series; major players return

On Monday, October 13, New Zealand Cricket announced a strong T20I squad for the forthcoming England T20I series, scheduled to start on Saturday, October 18, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch

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After missing out on the recent T20I series against Australia, skipper Mitchell Santner and all-rounder Rachin Ravindra have made their comeback for the upcoming home assignment against England.

For the unversed, Santner has recovered from an abdominal surgery, while Ravindra missed the previous series due to a facial injury. Moreover, the former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will also miss the T20I series due to a medical issue, while he is targeting to return for the three-match ODI series.

"Kane had to overcome a minor medical issue in the past month, and we agreed he needs some more time to get himself physically ready to return. He’s obviously a world-class player and we’re hoping these two weeks will ensure he’s ready for the ODIs against England and the following tour by West Indies,” the head coach, Rob Walter, said.

Additionally, Ben Sears will also miss the series following his left hamstring injury during training last week. Also, Finn Allen (foot), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) were all unavailable due to injury.

Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, and Jimmy Neesham form the pace battery, while Santner and Michael Bracewell will lead the spin department, with the veteran spinner Ish Sodhi not part of the squad.

New Zealand T20I squad vs England:

Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert.

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England's tour of New Zealand schedule: 

Oct 18: 1st T20I, Christchurch

Oct 20: 2nd T20I, Christchurch

Oct 23: 3rd T20I, Auckland

Oct 26: 1st ODI, Mount Maunganui

Oct 29: 2nd ODI, Hamilton

Nov 1: 3rd ODI, Wellington

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