07 January,2026 12:40 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Jacob Duffy (Pic: X/@BLACKCAPS)
Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, pacer Jacob Duffy has been named in New Zealand's squad for the global tournament.
In the previous year, he broke Richard Hadlee's 40-year-old record of 79 wickets in a year. Duffy claimed 81 international wickets in 2025 and rose to second place on the world T20 bowling rankings. His 81 wickets in 2025 came in 36 matches at an average of 17. He is the only member of a New Zealand squad boasting 1,064 T20 international caps who has yet to play at a T20 World Cup.
Duffy will join the likes of an experienced New Zealand pace attack, which includes Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham. Additionally, Kyle Jamieson will travel with the squad as the pace bowling reserve.
The T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to kick off from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka.
Premier all-rounder Mitchell Santner will lead the New Zealand pack in the mega tournament. He will also play a crucial role in the team's spin bowling department, which has the likes of Ish Sodhi, Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips, and Rachin Ravindra.
Santner and Sodhi both played at the 2016 T20 World Cup in India.
Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell and Tim Seifert are the specialist batters in the squad. Seifert, who will also keep wicket, will join the squad at the conclusion of Australia's Big Bash League.
"We've got plenty of power and skill in the batting, quality bowlers who can adapt to conditions, plus five all-rounders who all bring something slightly different. This is an experienced group and the players are no strangers to playing in the sub-continent, which will be valuable," New Zealand coach Rob Walter said.
New Zealand will play a white ball series in India in January and a warm-up match against the United States before the World Cup in which it is drawn in Group D with Afghanistan, UAE, South Africa and Canada.
New Zealand's squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
(With AP Inputs)
