New Zealand announce T20I squad against England; Kane Williamson to return for ODIs.

New Zealand cricket team announced changes to their squad for the upcoming T20I series against England, with white-ball captain Mitchell Santner and all-rounder Rachin Ravindra returning to the team, while Kane Williamson targets a comeback during the ODI leg. The three-match T20I series begins on October 18 at Hagley Oval, followed by three ODIs starting October 26.

Santner has recovered from his recent abdominal surgery and will lead the side in the T20I series. Ravindra, who was previously ruled out of the Australian series due to a facial injury, makes his return to the squad.

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Kane Williamson, who recently returned from overseas, is set to make his international cricket comeback during the ODI series against England in his hometown of Tauranga.

Wellington Firebirds fast-bowler Ben Sears will miss the England series after suffering a left-hamstring tear during training last week. The injury requires three to four weeks for recovery.

Jimmy Neesham has been selected as the seam-bowling all-rounder following his impressive performance against Australia. The pace-bowling group remains unchanged with Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, and Kyle Jamieson.

Michael Bracewell joins Santner in the spin department, while Ish Sodhi misses out. Tim Seifert will serve as the T20 wicket-keeper, joining the same batting unit that faced Australia.

"Fresh from taking on Australia, it is great to have another world-class team arrive on our shores. We know what an exciting brand of cricket Harry Brook and his T20 boys play, and I am sure our guys are looking forward to meeting that challenge head on," said NZ coach Rob Walter .

"It's awesome to hear the first game at Hagley Oval is about to sell-out and that will make for a fantastic occasion to start the series on Saturday night," Walter added.

"It's great to have Mitch back. Alongside being our leader, he is one of the very best white-ball spinners in the world and his skills and experience will be a welcome addition. Likewise, it is nice to welcome back Rachin who was unlucky to miss out on Australia and I know is really excited for this series," Walter continued.

"Kane had to overcome a minor medical issue in the past month, and we agreed he needs some more time to get himself physically ready to return. He is obviously a world-class player and we're hoping these two weeks will ensure he is ready for the ODIs against England and the following tour by West Indies."

"Ben had some discomfort while bowling last Tuesday, and the subsequent hamstring tear ruled him out of contention for this series. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back in the mix in the near future," Walter concluded.

Several players were unavailable for selection due to injuries, including Finn Allen (foot), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O'Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Lockie Ferguson (hamstring).

The New Zealand T20I squad: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, and Tim Seifert (wk).