South Africa tour of New Zealand (2026) - [5 T20Is]

[BouncerGuy]

South Africa announce T20I squad for New Zealand tour

Keshav Maharaj will lead South Africa in the five-match T20 International (T20I) series against New Zealand, which takes place from March 15-25. Five uncapped players have been named to the 15-member squad.

Maharaj, who is playing in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, is one of the three players from the current squad to feature on the New Zealand tour. George Linde and Jason Smith will also travel to New Zealand for the bilateral series.

“Keshav has experience captaining the Proteas and has led two teams to the SA20 finals," South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad said.

"His leadership and calm presence make him the ideal person to lead this group on this tour. With this series taking place directly after the T20 World Cup, the majority of that squad will return home, which creates a great opportunity for this group of players to step into the international environment and show what they’re about at this level."

Among the new faces are batters Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, and Jordan Hermann, who have been rewarded for their consistency in domestic T20s, along with all-rounder Eathan Bosch.

Nqobani Mokoena, the 19-year-old pacer who made his breakthrough in the SA20 League this year, has also received a national call-up.

Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee makes his return to the T20I side for the first time since featuring for the Proteas against Namibia in October 2025, while batter Tony de Zorzi is also back in the squad following his recovery from a right hamstring injury.

South Africa T20I squad for New Zealand series:

Keshav Maharaj (c), Ottneil Baartman, Eathan Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Jordan Hermann, Rubin Hermann, George Linde, Nqobani Mokoena, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla, Prenelan Subrayen, and Jason Smith.

 

[sweep_shot]

Should be a good series.

SA will probably win it.

 

[Kianig89]

Load of t20s right after WC , that's pitiful

 

[sweep_shot]

Load of t20s right after WC , that's pitiful

Yeah. Too much T20. It is an overkill.

Could've arranged a 3-match ODI series since next WC is the ODI WC.

 

[Devadwal]

This series would be ideal for 3 ODIs and 3 T20 matches.

 

[shah9425]

Should start preparing for home odi WC now

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Eight World Cup players set for South Africa T20s | Katene Clarke, Kelly & Lennox called up

BLACKCAPS captain Michell Santner and seven of his ICC T20 World Cup squad have been included in an extended squad to face South Africa in the upcoming KFC T20I series, which gets underway at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga on Sunday.

The five-match series will be played as double-header game-days alongside the WHITE FERNS and South Africa women’s Life Direct T20I series - allowing Kiwi fans the chance to watch all four teams play on the same day.

With BLACKCAPS players and staff arriving home to New Zealand over the next couple of days, two squads have effectively been selected for the series to help manage workloads following Monday morning’s World Cup final's defeat to India in Ahmedabad.

Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson will join Santner in the squad for the first three games, while Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Ben Sears and Ish Sodhi are available the entire series after comparatively lighter workloads during the T20 World Cup campaign.

Following the series opener at Bay Oval on Sunday, the double-headers swiftly shift to Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday and onto Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, March 20.

Top order batters Katene Clarke and Nick Kelly are in line to make their T20I debuts during the series, as is Central Districts spinner Jayden Lennox, with Clarke and Lennox selected for games four and five - in Wellington on Sunday March 22 and in Christchurch on Wednesday March 25, respectively.

Clarke’s maiden BLACKCAPS call-up follows a break-out Super Smash season where the 26-year-old topped the competition run-scoring charts with 431 runs, including an unbeaten century, as his Northern Brave side claimed the T20 domestic title.

"Katene is someone we've been keeping an eye on for a while now and so it was great to see him shoot the lights out in the Super Smash and force his way into his first BLACKCAPS squad," said BLACKCAPS selector Gavin Larsen.

"He's an explosive player who possess plenty of power and a variety of shots. He’s shown destructive ability inside the power play, but also crucially the ability to bat deep in an innings too."

Lennox’s first inclusion in a BLACKCAPS T20 squad follows his successful ODI debut series against India in January where he claimed 3-84 from his 20 overs against the formidable home batting line-up.

Kelly’s been a consistent performer for the Wellington Firebirds across the formats in recent years and earns his maiden T20 call-up off the back of his ODI debut series against Pakistan at home last April.

Josh Clarkson, Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson get their chance to impress after being selected for the full five-game series, with Clarkson back in the side for the first time since playing eight T20Is in 2024.

Tom Latham, who was the top run-scorer for the Canterbury Kings in the Super Smash, makes his return to the national T20 set-up as a wicket-keeper-batsman and will also take over the captaincy reigns from Santner for the final two matches.

"Tom's selection comes off the back of a strong Super Smash season at the top of the order for the Kings," Larsen said.

"He'll bring all his quality and experience, but as important is his leadership - which we are also likely to call on in the upcoming white-ball tour to Bangladesh in April."

With Conway departing after three matches, Central Stags gloveman Dane Cleaver will join the squad for the end of the series having last played for the BLACKCAPS in 2023.

Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert will miss the series to rest and freshen up after India, alongside Matt Henry who will also take some time to spend with his new baby.


BLACKCAPS T20 squad v South Africa

Mitchell Santner (c) (1-3)

Katene Clarke* (4-5)

Josh Clarkson

Dane Cleaver (wk) (4-5)

Devon Conway (wk) (1-3)

Lockie Ferguson (2-3)

Zak Foulkes

Bevon Jacobs

Kyle Jamieson

Nick Kelly*

Tom Latham (wk) (c) 4-5)

Jayden Lennox* (4-5)

Cole McConchie

Jimmy Neesham

Tim Robinson

Ben Sears

Nathan Smith

Ish Sodhi


*Potential T20I debut

Michael Bracewell (calf), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O'Rourke (back) and Blair Tickner (ankle) were not considered for the series due to injury.

Eight World Cup players set for South Africa T20s | Katene Clarke, Kelly & Lennox called up

BLACKCAPS captain Michell Santner and seven of his ICC T20 World Cup squad have been included in an extended squad to face South Africa in the upcoming KFC T20I series, which gets underway at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga on Sunday.

www.nzc.nz

 

[Kianig89]

Santner needs a break after the horrorshow of Ahmeadabad as skipper.

 

[U$ofA]

Load of t20s right after WC , that's pitiful

Yeah. Too much T20. It is an overkill.

Could've arranged a 3-match ODI series since next WC is the ODI WC.

NZC has to make $$$ to pay the bills. For that the people have to show up. Both at the stadium and tv/streaming.

There is a reason NZC has moved away from tests. Now add ODI's to it.

 

[jnaveen1980]

SA has more batters with T20 mindset compared to NZ.

 

[BouncerGuy]

New Zealand vs South Africa, 1st T20I:

New Zealand has won the toss and opted to bat

Teams:

South Africa (Playing XI): Connor Esterhuizen(w), Jordan Hermann, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj(c), Nqobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman

New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Tom Latham(w), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner(c), Zakary Foulkes, Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears

 

[AZulfi]

South Africa without several of their regulars including Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickleton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Ngidi and Rabada

 

[AZulfi]

New Zealand losing too many wickets during pp

36/5 after 6 overs

 

[sweep_shot]

NZ are in big trouble.

 

[sweep_shot]

Both sides are fielding depleted sides/bench players.

 

[dravidthewall]

Why can't SA played like this in wc against new Zealand?. They should have won the world cup

 

[sweep_shot]

Dominant win for South Africa.

They are up 1-0.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

BLACKCAPS leg spinner Ish Sodhi has been ruled out of the KFC T20I series against South Africa with a broken thumb

Sodhi was hit on the thumb while bowling at team training at Bay Oval on Saturday and a subsequent scan revealed a break which will require at least four weeks rehabilitation.

With Lockie Ferguson joining the squad for the second and third matches in Hamilton and Auckland, no replacement will be brought in to the squad for the next match.

BLACKCAPS head coach Rob Walter was understandably disappointed for Sodhi.

“Ish is very passionate about playing for New Zealand and we know he was looking forward to turning out in front of home fans after the World Cup campaign,” he said.

“He is hugely experienced in the T20 format and so will be a big miss for the remainder of the series.

“We’re confident with Lockie coming in, as well as Mitch (Santner) and Cole (McConchie) that we have appropriate cover for the next two matches, before the squad transitions for the last two matches.”

The BLACKCAPS relocate to Hamilton today ahead of the second KFC T20I against South Africa tomorrow at Seddon Park.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Why can't SA played like this in wc against new Zealand?. They should have won the world cup

Pressure of knowing one mistake can end your journey. SA journalists said they did try to play positive. They just attempted. THat does not mean those were not nervous attempts. How many times Miller struggled to clear the boundary against rubbish balls. Once nerve takes over you lose the plot. India had to pay heavily for carrying a mental midget KL Rahul for years.

 

[AZulfi]

Why can't SA played like this in wc against new Zealand?. They should have won the world cup

RSA did thrash NZ in the group game of the recent T20 World Cup.

Their issues in KO games are well-documented

 

[BouncerGuy]

New Zealand vs South Africa, 2nd T20I

South Africa have won the toss and have opted to field

Teams:

South Africa (Playing XI): Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen(w), Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, Wiaan Mulder, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj(c), Nqobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman

New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Tom Latham(w), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Mitchell Santner(c), James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Josh Clarkson, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears

 

[harshjoshi87]

T20 World Cup 2026 runner up team will draw level today against T20 World Cup 2024 runner up team.

 

[Human786]

NZ 102/3 in 13 - this SAF B team is doing well .

 

[Human786]

NZ 102/3 in 13 - this SAF B team is doing well .

Santu at 5 is surprising ... 120/3 in 14.1

 

[Human786]

Santu at 5 is surprising ... 120/3 in 14.1

Santu bowled ... 120/4

 

[Human786]

Santu bowled ... 120/4

124/5 ... SA 2-0 here ?

 

[Human786]

last 3 overs - 14 runs & 3 wickets .
133/5 in 17

 

[Human786]

140/6

 

[Human786]

decent suge last 2 overs [ 10 & 24 runs ] - target 176 .
1-1 here .

 

[Human786]

Jamieson leaking ..

 

[Human786]

24/0 in 4

 

[Human786]

29/1

 

[Human786]

31/2 6

 

[Human786]

31/3

 

[Human786]

decent suge last 2 overs [ 10 & 24 runs ] - target 176 .
1-1 here .

was rather obvious ...

 

[Human786]

51/3 in 8

 

[Human786]

59/4

 

[Human786]

67/5 ... under 130 loading .

 

[Human786]

Linde smashing Coonchie ...90 from 48 req

 

[Human786]

89/6

 

[Human786]

91/7

 

[Human786]

92/8 ... rather one sided

 

[Human786]

92/9

 

[Human786]

92/9

4 wickets in last 6 balls

 

[sweep_shot]

NZ got a big win in 2nd T20I. Series is now tied at 1-1.

 

[BouncerGuy]

New Zealand vs South Africa, 3rd T20I
New Zealand have won the toss and have opted to field

Teams:

South Africa (Playing XI): Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen(w), Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj(c), Nqobani Mokoena, Lutho Sipamla

New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Tom Latham(w), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner(c), James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson

 

[Human786]

SA 136/9
Wonder why useless Neesham is in 11 .

 

[Devadwal]

Useless series. No one care

 

[harshjoshi87]

They should have scheduled this series before the World Cup.

 

[BouncerGuy]

New Zealand vs South Africa, 3rd T20I
New Zealand have won the toss and have opted to field

Teams:

South Africa (Playing XI): Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen(w), Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj(c), Nqobani Mokoena, Lutho Sipamla

New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Tom Latham(w), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner(c), James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson

New Zealand won by 8 wkts

RSA 136/9(20)

NZ 137/2(16.2)

 

[sweep_shot]

NZ are up 2-1.

They should win the series.

 

[Blackbradman]

These backup south africa batsmen lack power. They are not able to clear small boundaries.

 

[sweep_shot]

South Africa have won the 4th T20I.

Series is now tied at 2-2.

 

[Human786]

decider SAF 76/1 in 10 .

 

[Human786]

79/2 in 11 .

 

[Cric1234]

Useless series. No one care

Why just after the world cup when the next one is almost 3 years away.... South Africa sent a reserve team with IPL coming up.

 

[Human786]

Wonder if this depleted Kiwi batting can chase 165+ ?
101/2 in 13

 

[Human786]

Wonder if this depleted Kiwi batting can chase 165+ ?
101/2 in 13

111/2 in 14

 

[Human786]

EsterHu peet raha hai Coonchie ko .
147/3 in 17

 

[Human786]

155/3 in 18

 

[Human786]

19 runs in the 19th over ... SAF's game to lose .

 

[Human786]

Target 188

 

[Vikram1989]

Wow. After pp, i never expected such score for sa.

 

[sweep_shot]

Why just after the world cup when the next one is almost 3 years away.... South Africa sent a reserve team with IPL coming up.

It is because cricket has become money-centric instead of being cricket-centric. T20 generates more money I guess.

I call this "Dalmiya Disease". He was the one who started the overcommercialization of cricket. He was the one who kickstarted BCCICC.

 

[sweep_shot]

NZ need 176 from 110 balls.

 

[Human786]

SAF 19/1 IN 3

 

[Human786]

17 run over from Mulder - 36/1

 

[Josh]

NZ have no business chasing this

 

[sweep_shot]

142 to win from 87.

 

[sweep_shot]

NZ have no business chasing this

Why not?

Target is 188. Not 300.

 

[Josh]

Why not?

Target is 188. Not 300.

This NZ team is very inexperienced. Don't think they can chase the score over 180

 

[sweep_shot]

This NZ team is very inexperienced. Don't think they can chase the score over 180

They are not random gully cricketers. They are from NZ's domestic setup. I think they are fully capable of scoring 180+. They may not do it today, however.

South Africa are also fielding bench players.

 

[sweep_shot]

119 to win from 56 balls.

 

[sweep_shot]

NZ - 108/4 (14.2 overs).

80 to win from 34 balls.

 

[sweep_shot]

57 to win from 17.

 

[sweep_shot]

47 to win from 2 overs. Should be difficult.

 

[BouncerGuy]

New Zealand vs South Africa, 5th T20I

South Africa won by 33 runs and they take the series 3-2

RSA 187-4(20)
NZ 154-8(20)