New Zealand Revise T20I Squad Against India After Injuries

New Zealand have been dealt a couple of body blows ahead of the five-match T20I series against India as Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes have been ruled out of the contest due to injuries. On Friday morning, New Zealand Cricket confirmed that Chapman and Foulkes would miss the marquee series due to hamstring and flexor injuries. Chapman suffered a left hamstring tear during the European T20 Premier League and will also miss the start, though he remains available for the five ODIs against the Men in Blue.

On the other hand, Foulkes injured his right hip flexor during a recent Canterbury training session with no immediate clarity on his comeback timeline. In their place, all-rounder Josh Clarkson and pacer Blair Tickner have been added to the squad for the upcoming matches. Coach Rob Walter stated that he was grateful to bring back the duo into the team to face India.

I am gutted for Mark and Zak, and I wish them both a smooth recovery, said Walter in an official media release. We are fortunate to be able to lean on the expertise of Josh and Blair. I know they are both very excited to be involved in what is shaping up to be an epic T20 series, he added.

The five-match series between New Zealand and India gets underway on October 22 across venues in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, and Hamilton. The contest carries immense significance as these two teams played in the final of the T20 World Cup earlier this year, with India coming out on top.

Mitchell Santner will lead the New Zealand side featuring a blend of youth and experience, with Tim Seifert and Finn Allen among the players to watch out for. Following the T20Is, both teams will square off in five ODIs and two Tests, marking one of the longest tours by India to the country in recent memory.