Blair Tickner made his T20I debut against India in 2019, and New Zealand have recalled him for their series
Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes are out of New Zealand’s five-match T20I series against India with injuries, and Josh Clarkson and Blair Tickner come in.
Oct 9, 2026
New Zealand have lost two more players before India arrive. Mark Chapman has torn his left hamstring and Zak Foulkes has hurt his right hip flexor, and New Zealand Cricket confirmed on Friday that neither will play in the five-match T20I series that starts in Christchurch on 22 October.
Allrounder Josh Clarkson and fast bowler Blair Tickner come in. Tickner’s recall reaches a long way back. His last T20I was against Pakistan in April 2023, and his first, in February 2019, was against India.
How the injuries happened
Chapman tore the hamstring playing in a European T20 league last month. He is 32 and has 113 T20Is behind him, and NZC expects him back for the one-day series against India that follows. Foulkes was hurt at a Canterbury training session. There is no date yet for his return.
“I’m gutted for Mark and Zak and I wish them both a smooth recovery,” head coach Rob Walter said. “We’re fortunate to be able to lean on the expertise of Josh and Blair.”
Rachin Ravindra was already out. He dislocated his right shoulder at a promotional shoot in Auckland in September, attempting a diving catch, and was left out when the squad was named. Bevon Jacobs took his place. Ravindra is also aiming at the ODIs.
What Clarkson and Tickner bring
Clarkson, a Central Districts allrounder, has played 13 T20Is since his debut against Australia in February 2024, with 151 runs and six wickets. His most recent game in the format was against Bangladesh in May.
Tickner has 18 T20Is and 19 wickets. He joins a pace group of Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy, along with Adam Milne, who is back in the T20I squad after more than a year away. Of the two, Foulkes is the easier loss to cover with that many quicks around. Chapman’s absence takes a left-hander out of a middle order that still has Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips.
Where the series is played
Hagley Oval in Christchurch hosts the first two matches, on 22 and 24 October. The series then moves to Hnry Stadium in Wellington on 27 October and Eden Park in Auckland on 30 October, and finishes at Seddon Park in Hamilton on 1 November.
The last time these sides met in a T20I was the World Cup final in Ahmedabad on 8 March. India made 255 for 5 and bowled New Zealand out for 159 to win by 96 runs. Mitchell Santner captained New Zealand that night, and he leads them again here.
New Zealand T20I squad: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner.