New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have made a minor addition to their squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 which is scheduled to start from next month across India and Sri Lanka. The Black Caps have named Ben Sears as a travelling reserve, with the pace bowler set to link up with the squad in Mumbai ahead of their lone warm-up match against the United States on February 5.
New Zealand Cricket on replacement
Sears will replace Kyle Jamieson, who was called into the main squad last week following the withdrawal of Adam Milne with a hamstring injury.
The decision adds valuable depth to New Zealand’s fast-bowling resources, an area that has caused concern due to recurring injury issues. With pacers like Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson all having struggled with fitness in the past, Sears provides the team with a reliable backup option.
“Ben’s worked hard to get himself back on the park and it’s been great to see him back playing and performing well,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said. “He’s had a full Super Smash campaign with the Firebirds, where he was the competition’s joint second-top wicket-taker from the round-robin stage with 15 wickets from his nine games. It will be great to have Ben with us here in India and ready to make an impact at the World Cup should someone get injured” said New Zealand Cricket in a release.
New Zealand T20 World Cup schedule
New Zealand is part of Group D alongside Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, and the UAE. The BlackCaps will start their campaign against Afghanistan on February 8 in Chennai.
| Match | Opponent | Date | Time (NZT) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | USA | Friday, 6 February | 2:30 AM | Navi Mumbai |
| 1st T20I | Afghanistan | Sunday, 8 February | 6:30 PM | Chennai |
| 2nd T20I | UAE | Tuesday, 10 February | 10:30 PM | Chennai |
| 3rd T20I | South Africa | Sunday, 15 February | 2:30 AM | Ahmedabad |
| 4th T20I | Canada | Tuesday, 17 February | 6:30 PM | Chennai |
New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 updated squad
Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Kyle Jamieson, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
Travelling reserve: Ben Sears