Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 4 : New Zealand head coach Rob Walter has provided a crucial injury update on their veteran all-rounder Michael Bracewell, who missed the five-match away T20I series against India due to a calf injury.
Bracewell suffered a calf injury during the third and final ODI against India, which the visitors won and clinched the three-match series 2-1, before losing the T20I series 4-1 against the Men in Blue.
New Zealand's head coach said Bracewell is making "good progress" and could recover in time for the start of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which begins on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
If Bracewell recovers on time, the all-rounder will have a chance to prove his match fitness in New Zealand's warm-up fixture against the USA in Mumbai on February 5, ahead of their tournament opener against Afghanistan in Chennai on February 8.
"I mean, his progression has been really good, and he's made good progress," New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. "Certainly everything seems to be on track for the warm-up game against the USA."
New Zealand head into the T20 World Cup as a balanced side, steady rather than spectacular, but with enough flashes of brilliance to keep them firmly in the contenders' bracket.
The Black Caps have won 16 of their 31 T20Is since the last World Cup, drawing confidence from dominant series victories at home against Pakistan and West Indies, and an emphatic unbeaten run in the tri-nation series in Zimbabwe.
However, recent setbacks against Australia, England, and most notably India have exposed a few cracks, raising questions about consistency against top-tier opposition as the tournament draws closer.
New Zealand squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026:
Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.