The New Zealand squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 has been announced. Mitchell Santner will lead the team, with Kane Williamson, Lockie Ferguson, and Devon Conway making their return to the ODI squad. These three players were not part of the New Zealand team for the home ODI series against South Africa, as Williamson and Conway were playing in the South African T20 League, while Ferguson was part of the Big Bash League.
No Boult or Southee in the team
The New Zealand Cricket Board has selected an experienced squad, and Ben Sears has also been given a chance after missing the home ODI series against Sri Lanka due to injury. New Zealand won that series 2-1. This will be the first ICC tournament in a long time where both Trent Boult and Tim Southee will not be part of the team together, a rare occurrence since their debuts. Boult has retired from international cricket.
O’Rourke and Smith given opportunities
Fast bowlers William Orurke and Nathan Smith have also been included in the squad. Coach Gary Stead mentioned that he wanted a team with both experience and depth. “We have several quality players, and choosing the team was not easy,” Stead said. Santner will captain the team in his first ICC tournament.
Santner’s first ICC tournament as captain
In December last year, Santner was appointed as New Zealand’s captain for limited-overs cricket. Santner, Williamson, and Tom Latham were all part of the last Champions Trophy in 2017. New Zealand will begin their campaign on February 19 with an opening match against Pakistan in Karachi. After that, they will face Bangladesh and India.
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.