WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Cricket New Zealand has unveiled its formidable squad for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup, with record-setting pace bowler Jacob Duffy earning his maiden tournament selection following an extraordinary 2025 season. The 31-year-old right-armer shattered a four-decade-old national record by claiming 81 international wickets throughout the year, surpassing legendary all-rounder Richard Hadlee’s previous benchmark of 79 wickets set in 1985.
Duffy’s remarkable performance has propelled him to second place in the global T20 bowling rankings, making him the only member of New Zealand’s 1,064-cap experienced squad yet to feature in a T20 World Cup tournament. He joins an established pace attack featuring Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham for the championship scheduled across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
The Black Caps will be led by all-rounder Mitchell Santner, who captains a balanced squad featuring specialist spinner Ish Sodhi alongside all-round options Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips, and Rachin Ravindra. The batting department boasts power hitters Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, and wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, who will join the squad following his commitments in Australia’s Big Bash League.
Head coach Rob Walter expressed confidence in the team’s composition, stating: ‘We’ve assembled a squad with substantial power and technical skill in our batting lineup, complemented by quality bowlers capable of adapting to diverse conditions. Our five all-rounders provide distinctive strategic options, and this experienced group possesses valuable sub-continent playing background.’
The team faces some fitness concerns with Allen (finger/hamstring), Chapman (ankle), Ferguson (calf), Henry (calf), and Santner (adductor) currently undergoing treatment. Additionally, Ferguson and Henry may require short-term paternity leave during the tournament as their partners are expecting childbirth.
Duffy’s selection comes after he shouldered New Zealand’s pace responsibilities across all formats during the domestic season, filling the void left by injured regulars including Henry, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Kyle Jamieson (designated as pace bowling reserve), and Nathan Smith. His 81 wickets came at an impressive average of 17 across 36 international matches.
New Zealand will fine-tune their preparations with a white-ball series in India during January, followed by a warm-up encounter against the United States before commencing their World Cup campaign in Group D alongside Afghanistan, UAE, South Africa, and Canada.