Kane Williamson is set to return to international T20 cricket in the three-match home series against Bangladesh, as announced by New Zealand Cricket on Sunday.
Williamson has been absent from 20-over cricket for over a year due to a prolonged knee injury, missing the T20 series against England in September. He will lead the Blackcaps in the series
The 33-year-old top-notch batter has recovered, aiding New Zealand in reaching the semi-finals of the 50-over World Cup in India last month, followed by the drawn Test series in Bangladesh.
Joining the lineup for the three-match T20 series are Tim Southee, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, and Glenn Phillips, who were rested for the ongoing ODI games against Bangladesh.
However, there are some sidelined players due to injuries: Lockie Ferguson (Achilles), Matt Henry (hamstring), Henry Shipley (back), and all-rounder Michael Bracewell (Achilles).
Opener Devon Conway will sit out both the ODI and Twenty20 series due to a "heavy workload in 2023," as stated by New Zealand Cricket.
Looking ahead, New Zealand is gearing up for home Tests against South Africa and Australia in early 2024.
Coach Gary Stead highlighted that the T20 series, commencing in Napier on December 27, marks the beginning of New Zealand's preparations for the World Cup scheduled for June in the West Indies and the United States.
New Zealand T20 squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, and Tim Southee.
In the first ODI, opener Will Young cracked a rapid century as New Zealand recovered from a dreadful start to beat Bangladesh by 44 runs on Sunday in the rain-affected game.
The match was shortened to 30 overs each after three rain delays to New Zealand's innings in Dunedin.
The home side burst into life in the final stages to post an imposing 239-7.
Needing an adjusted target of 245 to win the first ODI of the three-match series, Bangladesh were restricted to 200-9 in a chase that lost momentum.
