Williamson will miss England's T20 matches and aims to return for the ODIs

Williamson will miss England's T20 matches and aims to return for the ODIs

NZ vs ENG 2025 Series: New Zealand has announced its squad for the T20I series against England, starting October 18 at Hagley Oval. Captain Mitchell Santner returns after surgery, alongside all-rounder Rachin Ravindra.

Kane Williamson will not play in the upcoming T20I series against England at home, but he’s aiming to return for the ODI series that follows. He recently came back to New Zealand after playing overseas and last featured in the Champions Trophy final against India in March.

At 35, Williamson is part of a group of players with casual contracts from New Zealand Cricket. He had earlier skipped the T20Is against Australia and the Zimbabwe tour to play county cricket and The Hundred for Middlesex. Coach Rob Walter shared that Williamson has been dealing with a minor medical issue and needs a bit more time to recover. The hope is that he’ll be fit for the ODIs and the West Indies series that follows.

Mitchell Santner, the regular white-ball captain, returns after abdominal surgery and will lead the team. Fast bowler Ben Sears is out with a hamstring tear and will need 3–4 weeks to recover. His teammate Rachin Ravindra is back after missing the Australia series due to a facial injury from a fielding accident.

Several other players are also unavailable due to injuries: Finn Allen (foot), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Lockie Ferguson (hamstring). Wristspinner Ish Sodhi, New Zealand’s most-capped T20I player, hasn’t been picked for this series. Ravindra will join Santner and Bracewell as the spin options, with Mark Chapman also available for part-time spin.

Coach Walter said it’s great to have Santner back, calling him one of the best white-ball spinners in the world. He also welcomed Ravindra’s return, saying the young allrounder is excited to be part of the squad again.

Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, and Jimmy Neesham have all been retained. Neesham, who turned 35 recently, was a late call-up for the Australia series but impressed with 4 wickets for 26 runs in the third T20I. He’s aiming to play in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, saying he’s staying ready and focused on performing whenever selected.

The T20I series against England starts on October 18 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, with the second match also at the same venue on October 20. The final T20I will be played in Auckland. The ODI series runs from October 26 to November 1, and Williamson could make his return at Bay Oval his home ground on October 26.

New Zealand T20I Squad

Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (wk)