Jayden Lennox earns maiden New Zealand call-up as Kane Williamson skips India ODIs
Left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox has earned his maiden New Zealand call-up for the white-ball tour of India in January, rewarding years of consistent domestic performances. The 25-year-old has been named in the ODI squad alongside several uncapped and emerging players as New Zealand build depth ahead of a busy international calendar. Meanwhile, Kane Williamson will miss the ODI series due to his commitments in the SA20 league, while Mitchell Santner and Kyle Jamieson return to the national setup.
Jayden Lennox gets his chance
Lennox, a left-arm orthodox spinner, has been on New Zealand Cricket’s radar for some time and has represented New Zealand A on multiple occasions. His selection rewards strong domestic white-ball performances over several seasons. Head coach Rob Walter praised Lennox’s progression through the high-performance system.
Walter said,
“Jayden has been an identified player of interest for some time and has some good New Zealand ‘A’ experience under his belt. He’s consistently been one of the top performers in white-ball cricket domestically for a number of seasons.”
Lennox joins an ODI squad that includes fellow uncapped player Kristian Clarke, along with emerging internationals Adi Ashok, Josh Clarkson, Nick Kelly, and recent Test debutant Michael Rae. This shows New Zealand’s commitment to giving opportunities to young talent ahead of the 2027 World Cup cycle.
Kane Williamson unavailable, Michael Bracewell to captain ODIs
Kane Williamson will not be available for ODI selection as he has committed to playing in South Africa’s SA20 league during the same period. In his absence, Michael Bracewell will lead the side, supported by an experienced leadership group including Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Will Young, and Henry Nicholls.
Test captain Tom Latham will also miss the ODI series, staying in New Zealand for the birth of his third child. Front-line seamer Matt Henry is continuing his rehabilitation from a recent calf tear and will skip the ODIs but is expected to be ready for the T20I series and the T20 World Cup in February.
Mitchell Santner to captain T20Is as part of injury return
Mitchell Santner has been named in the T20I squad only as part of his return-to-play plan after recovering from a groin injury. He will captain the Black Caps in the T20 matches, easing back into international cricket with a lighter workload before resuming full duties across formats.
Kyle Jamieson returns to both white-ball squads after his own injury layoff, giving New Zealand a boost in the pace department. His ability to swing the ball and hit the deck hard will be valuable in Indian conditions.
T20 squad boosted by IPL-contracted players
Batters Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson have earned recalls to the T20I squad after impressive domestic performances for their respective sides. All-rounder James Neesham and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi also return, with Neesham having played in the Nepal Premier League and ILT20 in recent weeks, while Sodhi comes back from domestic duties with Canterbury.
Two players who recently earned IPL contracts—Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes—have been rewarded with T20I selection. Foulkes will experience T20 cricket in India for the first time, giving him valuable exposure ahead of his IPL debut.
Four players currently involved in franchise cricket will join the squad later. Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Finn Allen, and Tim Seifert will link up with the team in India once their commitments are complete, allowing them to feature in the latter stages of the T20I series ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Injury updates
Nathan Smith (side), Blair Tickner (shoulder), and Mark Chapman (ankle) were not considered for ODI selection as they continue their respective return-to-play plans. However, Chapman is on track to be available for the T20I series, adding another batting option for Santner’s side.
New Zealand Squad Summary
ODI Squad (15 players):
Michael Bracewell ©, Adi Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Will Young
T20I Squad (15 players):
Mitchell Santner ©, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi