New Zealand looks to its batting depth, game-breakers at the T20 World Cup

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand will lean heavily on its batting depth and proven match-winners to balance a depleted attack as it attempts to win the T20 World Cup for the first time.

The Black Caps’ best effort in nine World Cups was in 2021 when they were well beaten by Australia in the final.

That record reflects New Zealand’s love-hate relationship with a format to which it seems well adapted with its high percentage of allrounders. New Zealand played the first-ever T20 international, against Australia, and its win-loss record in around 260 internationals is roughly 50%.

The latest T20 World Cup starts Saturday in India and Sri Lanka over the next month.

New Zealand heads into the tournament on the back of a humbling T20 series loss to India in India. In the fifth game, New Zealand conceded a record 271-5, which included a century from 40 balls by Ishan Kishan.

New Zealand's weakened bowling attack was under the pump throughout the series. In the third match, India chased down New Zealand’s 153-9 with only two wickets down and 10 overs remaining.

Asked at the end of the series if there was anything New Zealand could have done to contain the Indian batters, skipper Mitchell Santner joked, “Maybe push the boundaries back a little bit!”

But Santner was happy with the intelligence New Zealand gained from the India series ahead of its World Cup opener against Afghanistan at Chennai.

“We look at the series as a whole. We learned a lot of good stuff,” Santner said. “It’s not easy as a bowling unit. We’ve got to find ways against very good batters.”

New Zealand will ask much of the 31-year-old pacer Jacob Duffy, who will be playing at his first T20 World Cup. Duffy had an extraordinary breakout season in 2025, taking 81 wickets in a calendar year to break the New Zealand record held by Richard Hadlee. He is the No. 4-ranked T20 bowler in the world.

Apart from Duffy, the New Zealand pace lineup includes Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson, who came in as a late replacement for the injured Adam Milne. Ben Sears is the traveling reserve and may see action as Henry and Ferguson may both take short breaks for paternity leave.

Santner and Ish Sodhi are the main spin options, with Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell providing backup.

Sodhi said the batters spent time facing spin in their tournament preparation.

“At training the boys wanted to face spinners and see what their boundary and single options were, so it was really cool that everyone is training specifically for that,” he said.

New Zealand’s strong batting lineup comprises of Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert. Seifert will also keep wicket while the allrounders Jimmy Neesham, who provides an extra pace option, Bracewell and Phillips balance the squad.

“We’ve got plenty of power and skill in the batting, quality bowlers who can adapt to conditions plus five allrounders who all bring something slightly different," New Zealand coach Rob Walter said.

“This is an experienced group and the players are no strangers to playing in the subcontinent, which will be valuable.”

New Zealand’s squad includes players with franchise experience around the world who bring a match-winning element.

Allen has a strike rate of 165.45 in T20 internationals and 175.23 in domestic or franchise T20 cricket.

Phillips has a strike rate of 141.56 in international T20s and provides athleticism in the field, reflected by his 52 catches.

“World Cups are special and there’s few better places to play one than in India, which is very much the heartbeat of the modern game,” Walter said. “I’m really happy with the skills and experience of this squad. We have a group which can make New Zealand proud.”

New Zealand is drawn in Group D with Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa and the UAE.

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New Zealand's Zak Foulkes celebrates the dismissal of India's Rinku Singh with his teammates during the fourth T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Visakhapatnam, India, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

New Zealand's Jacob Duffy celebrates the dismissal of India's Shivam Dube but it was reversed by third umpire during the fourth T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Visakhapatnam, India, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

New Zealand's Ish Sodhi celebrates the dismissal of India's Arshdeep Singh during the fourth T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Visakhapatnam, India, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

New Zealand's captain Mitchell Santner plays a shot during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

A fitness clearance for veteran middle-order batter David Miller has boosted South Africa as it heads to the Twenty20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, attempting to improve on its runner-up finish in the last tournament.

The 36-year-old Miller is one of the best finishers in world cricket and his late confirmation in the Proteas squad adds another feature to an already strong lineup. He had an adductor muscle strain and was in doubt until his clearance last weekend.

South Africa has been a regular semifinalist in ICC tournaments in recent years and finally broke its major international trophy drought when it won the last World Test Championship. It hopes that experience will boost it at the coming tournament.

The Proteas have built depth across all three formats, demonstrated when it lost to injuries Tony de Zorzi and Donovan Ferreira from its initial World Cup squad and called in Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs as replacements, both top-class T20 players.

Wicketkeeper Rickelton has a T20 international strike rate of 142 and both are able to bat deep and be closers if needed. Stubbs has considerable experience in the Indian Premier League.

South Africa surprised many when it named a bowling lineup with a heavy emphasis on pace. Those bowlers performed relatively well in recent white-ball series in India.

Kagiso Rabada is fit after recent injuries and joins a pace group including Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kwena Maphaka and Lungi Ngidi. George Linde and Keshav Maharaj provide the frontline spin alternative.

“We are returning to the subcontinent where we recently competed against hosts India,” coach Shukri Conrad said. “The experience we gained playing in those conditions will undoubtedly benefit us.

“Many of the players selected for the World Cup squad were on that trip and experienced first-hand the pitches that we will likely encounter, and that will stand them in good stead.”

A feature of the South Africa squad which will be captained by Aiden Markram is the depth and experience of its batting. Quinton de Kock returns at the top of the order after a short-lived retirement.

“There’s lots of firepower. There are match winners,” former South Africa captain Graeme Smith said. “It’ll be interesting to see what combinations Shukri and the team come up with. Some grounds are challenging to defend, some wickets play flat and then your bowlers are really tested.

“So the bowling combinations will be tested but there’s enough in that squad to go deep in the tournament.”

Smith backs Stubbs to make an impact, pointing to his match-winning unbeaten 63 in the local SA20 final.

“His power, the experiences he has, we’ve seen it in the IPL, for South Africa and in the SA20,” he said. “That innings would have given him a world of confidence. He’s a confident player anyway but he would have grown in stature.

“He’s had to fight back from a few disappointments in the last six months. I always love it when a player under pressure shows his worth on a big stage like a final. Hopefully he takes that feeling, that form and confidence into the World Cup.”

South Africa is drawn in Group D with Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand and UAE.

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South Africa's bowler Keshav Maharaj, center, celebrates with his teammate Aiden Markram after bowling West Indies batsman Rovman Powell during the T20 International cricket match between South Africa and West Indies, in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's batsman Ryan Rickelton, right, runs and survive a run out attempt by West Indies wicketkeeper Shai Hope during the T20 International cricket match between South Africa and West Indies, in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, right, misplay a delivery as South Africa's wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock watches on during the T20 International cricket match between South Africa and West Indies, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's bowler Keshav Maharaj, right, celebrates with his teammates after taking a wicket during the T20 International cricket match between South Africa and West Indies, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's batsman Quinton de Kock raises his bat after reaching a century during the T20 International cricket match between South Africa and West Indies, in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)