New Zealand announce 15-member ODI and T20I squads for white-ball tour of Sri Lanka; Mitchell Santner to lead both sides

New Zealand announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, October 22. The Black Caps will play two T20Is and three ODIs against the Lankans from November 9 to 19.

New Zealand will play with the same squad for both the ODIs and T20Is with spin-bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner leading the team. He will be the interim captain as the Kiwis look to confirm their permanent white-ball skipper during the home summer.

Bowling all-rounder Nathan Smith and wicketkeeper-batter Mitch Hay have earned their maiden call-up to the national squad, thanks to consistent domestic performances over the past year.

New Zealand selector Sam Wells congratulated the duo on their maiden call-ups with a statement to nzc.nz:

"It’s a special moment for any player to be selected for the BLACKCAPS for the first time. Nathan and Mitch have demanded selection through weight of performance and I am sure they will be looking forward to showcasing their skills on the international stage."

He added:

"Nathan’s led the Wellington attack with distinction for a number of year across all three formats and we are excited about his potential with the bat. Mitch has been one of the standout domestic players over the past few seasons and brings all-round ability with the both bat and gloves. He’s a very organised batsman and has displayed good power in the white ball formats."

Apart from Santner, New Zealand's spin department will be aided by Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips and the most experienced player in this squad, Ish Sodhi.

Meanwhile, Lockie Ferguson will spearhead the pace attack with Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes.

Wells highlighted the importance of identifying depth during the Sri Lanka tour. He said:

"This tour is the beginning of the build-up towards the ICC Champions Trophy in February 2025 and we also have an eye towards the 2027 one-day Cricket World Cup. Building depth is of critical important due to the demands of the international schedule and the need to peak for pinnacle events. For that reason it’s particularly exciting to include a number of players that we believe represent the future of the Blackcaps."

New Zealand have not played a single ODI game this year and their last T20I assignment was the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA that ended in a disappointing first-round exit.

They are currently playing a three-Test series in India and won the opening encounter by eight wickets to take a 1-0 lead.

New Zealand ODI and T20I squad for Sri Lanka tour

Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Dean Foxcroft, Mitch Hay (wk), Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Tim Robinson, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Will Young.