Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj will lead South Africa’s T20I squad for the upcoming five-match eries against New Zealand. Cricket South Africa (CSA) unveiled a 15-member squad that blends experience with exciting new talent. Maharaj, who has previously led the South African side, will take over the leadership role in a relatively fresh setup after the players return home post-World Cup duty.
The five-match T20I series is scheduled to play from March 15 to March 26. Alongside Maharaj, only two other World Cup participants, spinner George Linde and all-rounder Jason Smith, have been included in the touring side.
The rest of the squad will consist of promising newcomers, including Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester and Jordan Hermann, Eathan Bosch and Nqobani Mokoena. The series will also mark the return of Tony de Zorzi, who was sidelined due to an injury.
The series will conclude on March 25, just ahead of the Indian Premier League, which tentatively will begin on March 26.
Head coach Shukri Conrad stressed that the series presents a valuable opportunity for younger players to make their mark at the international level.
“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,” South Africa’s head coach Shukri Conrad was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. “Keshav has experience captaining the Proteas and has led two teams to the SA20 finals. His leadership and calm presence make him the ideal person to lead this group on this tour.
“The battng unit is particularly exciting for this tour. Tony brings experience to the top order, while Connor, Dian and Jordan have all demonstrated the ability to play positive, attacking cricket for their domestic teams. Nqobani showed during SA20 that he is an exciting young quick with the ability to make an impact and this series will give him the perfect opportunity to expose him to the international setup,” he added.
The decision to include five uncapped players comes amid the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, with the tournament set to end on March 8, only a week before the start of the series against New Zealand. The Proteas, led-by Aiden Markram have qualified for the Super 8 stage of the competition.
South Africa squad for T20I series in New Zealand
Keshav Maharaj (capt), 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
Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:
