New Zealand has announced their 15-man squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. The trio of Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson was called up to compete in the tournament. Due to offshore T20 obligations, the vital three didn’t play in the just-concluded home ODI series against Sri Lanka. The pacer Ferguson is currently competing in Australia’s Big Bash tournament, while batsmen Williamson and Conway have been participating in South Africa’s T20 League. Ben Sears, who missed the 2-1 series victory over Sri Lanka due to a knee injury, is also chosen for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy tournament.
Sears, along with fellow speed bowlers Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith, will be participating in their first senior ICC event. Coach Gary Stead will be in charge of a team that he claimed had depth and experience.
“We’re currently blessed with a lot of quality players and that certainly made for some challenging selection discussions,” said Stead.
The Kiwi spin bowler Mitchell Santner was named as full-time white ball captain in December and will be leading New Zealand at a major event for the first time. The New Zealand team for the final Champions Trophy, held in England and Wales in 2017, included Santner, former captain Williamson and wicketkeeper Tom Latham. On February 19, New Zealand will play Pakistan in the tournament’s opening match in Karachi. They will next play Bangladesh and India in pool matches.
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (captain), Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, Will O'Rourke