South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj.
| Photo Credit: AP

New Zealand T20 cricket team captain Mitchell Santner during a training session. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner bats during the T20 cricket international between New Zealand and the West Indies in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

New Zealand 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 being announced in Wellington on January 12, 2025. Photo: X/@BLACKCAPS

Fast bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears were recalled to New Zealand’s 15-man squad on Sunday (January 12, 2025) for the Champions Trophy next month in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Ferguson is no longer contracted to New Zealand Cricket and missed the home series against Sri Lanka which finished on Sunday, (January 12, 2025) while playing in Australia’s Big Bash League.

Sears was a traveling reserve for last year’s Twenty20 World Cup but missed New Zealand’s test series in India in November and the first half of the domestic season with a knee injury. He returned from injury on Thursday in a T20 match for Wellington province.

Sears, Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith have been named to play at their first ICC tournament but Jacob Duffy, who was outstanding in the T20 and one-day international series against Sri Lanka, has been named as a traveling reserve.

“ICC tournaments represent the pinnacle of our game and it’s a huge honor to be picked to represent your country at them,” coach Gary Stead said.

“I’d especially like to acknowledge Ben, Nathan and Will, who will be attending their first senior ICC events and I know they’re really excited to do so.”

The pace attack is led by the experienced Matt Henry and Ferguson, who has played in two T20 and two ODI World Cups.

The experience of the squad is also bolstered by captain Mitchell Santner, wicketkeeper-batter Tom Latham and former captain Kane Williamson, who played in the last Champions Trophy in 2017. Williamson also played in the 2013 edition.

Santner will be leading New Zealand to a major tournament for the first time. He offers a spin bowling option along with Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra.

The batting lineup is a strong one with Devon Conway, Will Young, Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell and Williamson providing depth and experience.

“Although the Champions Trophy hasn’t been played for a few years, the team is well aware of the history of the tournament and the fact New Zealand were the first winners of the tournament in 2000 when it was known as the ICC KnockOut Trophy,” Stead said.

“We’re currently blessed with a lot of quality players and that certainly made for some challenging selection discussions. Ultimately, we’ve gone with the squad that will offer us the best options to perform well in the expected conditions in Pakistan and the UAE.” New Zealand will prepare for the tournament with a warmup tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa in Karachi and Lahore and a warmup match against Afghanistan in Karachi.

The Champions Trophy is contested by the top-eight ranked men’s ODI teams in world cricket.

The squad

Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.

New Zealand’s captain Tom Latham attends a practice session before the third test match against India in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Almost two months ago, when New Zealand arrived in Greater Noida for a sub-continental sojourn that involved six Tests in two countries against three oppositions, the Kiwis would have hoped to maul Afghanistan, overcome Sri Lanka and stretch India.

Ahead of its last of the six Tests, having seen the Afghanistan Test being washed out primarily due to poor outfield in Greater Noida and being wiped out in both the Tests in Sri Lanka, New Zealand is on the verge of creating history.

Tom Latham, who was reappointed as Test captain just before the India series, is hoping for a series whitewash in India.

“This is another exciting opportunity presented to us this week. We have done a lot of good stuff over the last couple of weeks, but you go into every Test with the focus of trying to win key moments, not necessarily focusing on the result,” Latham said.

“That’s the byproduct of putting things together back to back, good sessions back to back. This is a different pitch, and these are different conditions. Also, it’s a lot hotter out there. Another really exciting opportunity and another one the guys are looking forward to.”

Latham couldn’t have asked for a better surface than a turning track at the Wankhede Stadium. He hoped Santner’s form and Ajaz Patel’s familiarity will help the New Zealand spinners outshine India’s spin unit yet again.

“We saw last week that Mitch (Santner) bowled fantastically well on a wicket that suited him. You look back a few years ago (in 2021), the surface out here suited Ajaz (Patel) pretty well too in terms of what he was able to achieve, so when you have had success at a ground, coming back to a familiar venue and you have done well certainly gives you confidence,” Latham said.

“I thought Ajaz did a great job in terms of how he bowled last week, just in terms of being able to tie an end up at different stages of the game. Mitch got the rewards but that’s just the beauty of a team sport, not every day a certain person is going to be successful and that’s certainly what we talk about as this group, everyone chipping in at certain times and I am sure it will be the same in this game.”

New Zealand’s captain Tom Latham congratulates Mitchell Santner after an Indian wicket during the second Test in Pune on October 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

He was reappointed as Test captain after two years following the team’s series loss in Sri Lanka. But Tom Latham, the New Zealand captain, was “immensely” proud of the historic feat his team achieved on Saturday (October 26, 2024), assuring his team its first Test series win in India.

“Coming off the back of a Sri Lankan series where we obviously didn’t get the results that we wanted, to come here and play the style of cricket that we have played, we are immensely proud to be in the position of winning two Test matches here,” an elated Latham said.

“A lot of New Zealand teams have come here over the past 69 years, I think it is, and 13 series. To be the first team to win a series over here is immensely special. (I am) very proud of this group.”

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New Zealand have created history! It’s taken them seven decades but the Black Caps finally have a series win in India! And it’s in n emphatic manner, with a dominant show for the second consecutive week.

India’s 12-year-long unbeaten series record at home has been broken. The World Test Championship final spot is in jeopardy and they have lots of questions to ponder over before heading to Mumbai for the Diwali Test!

(IND vs NZ second Test: Day 2 in pictures, October 25, 2024)

(IND vs NZ second Test: Day 1 in pictures, October 24, 2024)

Mitchell Santner proved to be a thorn for the Indian batsmen as he once again struck telling blows and finished the match with a 13-wicket haul.
| Photo Credit: K. Bhagya Prakash

For the second time in three days – and the third time in four innings this series – India’s batters surrendered against a clinical New Zealand as the visiting side created history by taking an unassailable lead in the three-match series, mauling India by 113 runs.

Twenty-six minutes into the last hour of the third day at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium, with some of the 28,895 spectators who had turned up hoping against hope of an India turnaround, Tim Southee at long-on completed a clean catch to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja off Ajaz Patel and the New Zealand bunch burst into a prolonged bout of celebration.

After setting India a stiff target of 359, all it took for the Kiwi bowlers — led by the bespectacled Mitchell Santner — was 257 minutes and a little over 60 overs to wind up India’s second essay for 245.

Barring Yashasvi Jaiswal, who adopted an ultra-aggressive approach before being drawn forward and undone in flight by Santner, and Jadeja who prolonged the inevitable, no India batter could occupy the crease on a pitch that continued to aid the tweakers.

The Kiwi spinners – especially Santner – persisted with making India’s batters play by employing a stump-to-stump line. It paid dividend yet again as the Indian batters continued to be beaten on either side of the edge.

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New Zealand Mitchell Santner celebrates with his teammates after taking a wicket against India in Pune on October 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: K. Bhagya Prakash

The batters’ constant failure in making runs in the first innings is costing the team dear, admitted bowling coach Morne Morkel even as India are in danger of losing the first Test series at home since 2012-13.

After getting bundled out for an abysmal 46 in the first innings of the opening Test, India were skittled out for a mere 156 in the first essay of second Test here on Friday as New Zealand took firm control of the match.

India vs New Zealand 2nd Test Day 2 Highlights

“I never like to have a punch up between batters and bowlers but, in Test match cricket you need to score the first innings runs,” Morkel told the media during the post-day press meet.

“If we put our hand up, we haven’t been able to do that. There are world class players in our batting line up. I know that individually, they’ve got their processes and they know how to go about those things,” he added.

Morkel hoped to see a better outing from Indian batters in the second innings.

“Hopefully, we can iron those mistakes out because it’s costing us at the moment — not getting the runs on the board — but I’m pretty sure there’s enough experience, enough knowledge amongst them to rectify that,” he added.

“I back the team (to come up) with a strong response in our second innings. I’m excited to see how they bounce back and how they play this situation and the conditions,” he said.

Morkel said India will have to maintain belief and back their knowledge of the conditions to avert losing the match and the series.

“We have to believe. This game is a funny game. Our guys are attacking players, there’s guys that know these conditions well. Our talk before this game was that we are masters in these conditions, we know how to sum these conditions up,” he said.

“Let’s be honest, it’s going to be a tough task. But what an opportunity for somebody to really inspire and put in a fighting and a top performance — that’s the way I see it.

“When conditions are tricky and tough you’ll see real people stand up and fight and if we show that fight and somebody gets the momentum going in these conditions, you never know,” he said.

Morkel said the hosts wanted to see off the overs on Day One when they reached 16/1 in 11 overs and then find momentum on Day Two.

“I think they (New Zealand) bowled very well in partnership. Watching from the outside, it was very hard for us to rotate strike, to keep the scoreboard ticking,” he said.

“In these sort of conditions where the ball is turning and asking a lot of questions, it is important to do that.

“The pace that (Mitchell) Santner bowled today in particular, was spot on for this surface. On Day Two, arriving here this morning being one down, our camp was very confident that we were going to bat big but unfortunately we just couldn’t get that momentum going,” he added.

Morkel praised New Zealand for coming to this tour well-prepared.

“I must give credit to New Zealand. The way they’ve adapted to conditions, the way they’ve sort of blocked out what is in front of them and just played the game, it’s been incredible so far in this series,” he said.

“Definitely in Bangalore and here, playing those sessions, playing those important moments they’ve done it better than us at the moment.” “And that’s one of the reasons why they’re on top of this game at the moment. They’re creating pressure with the ball. They’re putting our bowlers under pressure by sweeping and reverse-sweeping well.

“They’re a team that plans well, they go into tours and really leave no stone unturned so I’m not surprised by the way they’re playing at the moment,” he added.

New Zealand’s day on every count! Mitchell Santner broke the back of India’s batting and gave the Kiwis a comprehensive 103-run lead. 

Tom Latham then played a captain’s knock to ensure New Zealand tightened its noose around India. New Zealand is on the cusp of a historic series win in India. 

Can India mark a miraculous turnaround with New Zealand leading by 301 runs!

(India vs New Zealand Day 1 in pictures)