Milne, Henry Back in New Zealand's T20 Tri-Series Squad; Key Players Miss Out

Adam Milne and Matt Henry have been named in New Zealand's 15-member squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Matt Henry eyes comeback after injury layoff. © Getty

Bevon Jacobs, the uncapped batter who featured in the T20 series against Sri Lanka, has retained his place in the squad.

Milne returns to the national side for the first time since November. Henry is back after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Ben Sears is sidelined due to injury. Lockie Ferguson is being rested to manage his workload. Kyle Jamieson is unavailable, awaiting the birth of his first child. Devon Conway and Mitch Hay are also absent, with Tim Seifert taking over the wicketkeeping duties. Kane Williamson has made himself unavailable for selection.

New head coach Rob Walter expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming tour, which marks his first assignment. "I think we've got a really strong squad for this tour and I'm looking forward to getting the team together and getting into the work," Walter said.

He further added, "We've got some good experience in the side and it's nice to be able to welcome back a few of the players who missed the March series against Pakistan because of the IPL."

"It should be a great T20 Tri Series with South Africa who are a very strong side and Zimbabwe who play well at home in their own conditions," he said, highlighting the competitive nature of the tournament.

Walter emphasized the opportunity the tour presents for Bevon Jacobs. He also noted the importance of Adam Milne's experience in the absence of other key pacers.

"Bevon's been an outstanding performer in domestic cricket and has gained some experience in franchise leagues around the world, so it'll be a good chance for him to get back into the squad and potentially play."

"Adam's a really skilled T20 bowler, he's particularly proficient with the ball up front and brings that extra pace and bounce. With the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears and Kyle Jamieson out it's great to be able to lean on an experienced head in Adam," Walter stated.

Walter also underscored the significance of the tri-series in preparation for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

"With the T20 World Cup around the corner, all of our upcoming series are critically important to our build up. This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition," he concluded.

New Zealand Squad: Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchel, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi