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 (NZC) confirmed that Chapman and Foulkes would miss the marquee series due to hamstring and hip flexor injuries. Speaking of Chapman, he had suffered a left hamstring tear during the inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) and hence has been ruled out, but will be 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, and there's no clarity on his comeback date, as the return-to-play timeline is yet to be determined.
In Chapman and Foulkes' place, all-rounder Josh Clarkson and pacer Blair Tickner have been added to the squad. New Zealand coach Rob Walter stated that he was grateful to bring back the duo into the team to face India.
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"I’m gutted for Mark and Zak, and I wish them both a smooth recovery,” said Walter in an official media release.
“We’re fortunate to be able to lean on the expertise of Josh and Blair. I know they’re both very excited to be involved in what’s shaping up to be an epic T20 series," he added.
All you need to know about the series
{{/usCountry}}“We’re fortunate to be able to lean on the expertise of Josh and Blair. I know they’re both very excited to be involved in what’s shaping up to be an epic T20 series," he added.
All you need to know about the series
{{/usCountry}}The five-match series between New Zealand and India gets underway on October 22, and the contest has all the makings of a blockbuster, as these two teams played in the final of the T20 World Cup earlier this year, with India coming out on top.
The New Zealand side will be led by Mitchell Santner, and the squad has a perfect blend of youth and experience. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen are the two players to watch out for, as the duo have been in decent form of late.
The five T20Is will be played across Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton. After the five T20Is, India and New Zealand will square off in five ODIs and two Tests. The Indian camp would be in New Zealand for more than a month, making it one of the longest tours in recent memory.
Updated BLACKCAPS T20I squad v India: Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith, and Blair Tickner.