Duffy bowls his way into NZ squad for T20 World Cup

06 Jan 2026 AP

A record breaking 2025 has earned New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy a maiden trip to the T20 World Cup

Pacer Jacob Duffy has been named in New Zealand's squad for the Twenty20 World Cup after an outstanding 2025 in which he captured 81 international wickets.

The 31-year-old broke Richard Hadlee's 40-year-old record of 79 wickets in a year and rose to second place on world T20 bowling rankings.

He is the only member of a New Zealand squad boasting 1064 T20 international caps who has yet to play at a T20 World Cup.

Duffy joins an experienced New Zealand pace attack, including Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne and allrounder Jimmy Neesham for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

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Kyle Jamieson will travel with the squad as the pace bowling reserve.

The New Zealand squad is captained by allrounder Mitchell Santner, who is part of a spin-bowling contingent that includes specialist Ish Sodhi and allrounders Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra.

Santner and Sodhi both played at the 2016 T20 World Cup in India.

Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell and Tim Seifert are the specialist batters in the squad. Seifert, who will also keep wicket, will join the squad at the conclusion of Australia's Big Bash League.

"We've got plenty of power and skill in the batting, quality bowlers who can adapt to conditions, plus five allrounders who all bring something slightly different," New Zealand coach Rob Walter said. "This is an experienced group and the players are no strangers to playing in the sub-continent, which will be valuable."

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Allen (finger/hamstring), Chapman (ankle), Ferguson (calf), Henry (calf) and Santner (adductor) are receiving treatment. Ferguson and Henry's partners are due to give birth during the tournament and they are likely to be granted short-term paternity leave.

Duffy led the New Zealand pace attack in all three formats during the New Zealand domestic season in the absence of Henry, Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears, Jamieson, Nathan Smith and Ferguson, all of whom were recovering from injuries.

His 81 wickets in 2025 came in 36 matches at an average of 17.

New Zealand will play a white-ball series in India in January and a warm-up match against the United States before the World Cup, where they are drawn in Group D with Afghanistan, UAE, South Africa and Canada.

New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

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Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa