Mitchell Santner Appointed Interim Captain for New Zealand's White-Ball Tour of Sri Lanka

New Zealand's T20I and ODI Squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Dean Foxcroft, Mitch Hay (wk), Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Tim Robinson, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Will Young.

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand Series Schedule:

• Nov 9: 1st T20I, Dambulla
• Nov 10: 2nd T20I, Dambulla
• Nov 13: 1st ODI, Dambulla
• Nov 17: 2nd ODI, Pallekelle
• Nov 19: 3rd ODI, Pallekelle

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has officially named Mitchell Santner as the interim captain for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, scheduled for next month. The announcement was made on Tuesday, alongside the revelation of a 15-man squad that features the maiden call-ups of bowling allrounder Nathan Smith and wicketkeeper-batter Mitchell Hay.

Santner will lead the team in two T20 internationals and three ODIs against Sri Lanka. NZC also indicated that a permanent captain for the ODI and T20I formats will be announced later in the summer.

Six members of New Zealand's Test squad currently in India will transition to Sri Lanka after the third Test in Mumbai. The remaining players will depart for Sri Lanka on November 4, ahead of the first T20I in Dambulla on November 9. Bracewell will join the white-ball squad after returning home for the birth of his second child.

Notably, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee, and Kane Williamson were not selected as they focus on the upcoming three-Test series against England, starting in Christchurch on November 28.

Chief selector Sam Wells emphasized the importance of building depth in the squad for the future. "This tour of Sri Lanka marks the beginning of our preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy in February 2025 and the 2027 ODI World Cup. It's crucial to develop our talent pool due to the international schedule's demands and the need to peak for major tournaments."

Head coach Gary Stead will oversee the team, accompanied by bowling coach Jacob Oram. Former England international James Foster will rejoin New Zealand as batting coach, filling in for full-time batting coach Luke Ronchi, who returns home to focus on the New Zealand domestic season.