New Zealand coach Rob Walter said all-rounder Michael Bracewell’s participation in the five-match T20I series against India is dependent on his recovery from a minor left-calf strain that he sustained during the recent third ODI at Indore.

New Zealand defeated India by 41 runs to seal a historic 2-1 ODI series win at the Holkar Stadium but Bracewell did not bowl after suffering a calf niggle while fielding.

“Bracewell will be treated and monitored over the coming days before a decision on his further involvement in the tour is confirmed,” said Walter in a release issued by New Zealand Cricket.

“It was incredibly special to win the ODI series and create some history. There were lots of special performances combined with fantastic teamwork to achieve something that hadn’t been done before.”

Walter said Bracewell will remain with the squad but the players needed to recover quickly ahead of the T20 series, beginning on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) at Nagpur.

“Michael has travelled with the squad to Nagpur. But with a short turn-around to the T20 series we’ll need to recover well and refocus quickly to be ready for the opening game,” he added.

The 50-year-old also confirmed that pacer Kristian Clarke will remain with the touring party after being added to the T20 squad for the first three games against India.

“We’ve got a fair bit of player movement at the moment with some guys returning from injury for this series, others joining us immediately from franchise cricket and the rest coming off the India ODI series and Super Smash,” he said.

Walter said Clarke’s inclusion was primarily aimed at boosting pace bowling options.

“We want to ensure we’ve got enough pace-bowling options for the first three games of this series and it’s a great opportunity for Kristian to stay on with the group a little longer on his first tour of India.”

Clarke played an excellent role in his maiden ODI series, claiming seven wickets including Virat Kohli twice across the three games.

He also added useful runs while batting lower-order and snared two catches.

“He certainly showcased his talent in the ODI series, but what was particularly impressive was his calmness and ability to perform under pressure,” said Walter.

A rare opportunity to make history awaits New Zealand as it faces India in the series decider at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday (January 18, 2026). Speaking to the media on the eve of the third ODI, all-rounder Glenn Phillips highlighted the team’s prospect of achieving an unprecedented result on Indian soil.

“India is an incredibly tough place to play, and they’re a world-class side. We know we’ll have to be at our absolute best to beat them on any given day,” Phillips said.

“The inspiration comes from knowing that things that haven’t been done before are possible. We had a very enjoyable Test series here, but a white-ball series is completely different, and very few teams have managed to achieve success here. If we can pull it off, it would be fantastic and a huge moment for us,” he added.

Phillips, however, stressed the importance of staying focused on the process. “Making history is a pretty cool thing, but focusing on that doesn’t really help your cricket. As professionals, we try to treat every moment like any other day. That helps you stay in the zone, make good decisions, and play freely. When results come, you enjoy them for what they are, but it’s the background work and process that allows those moments to happen.”