Kane Williamson lead an experienced New Zealand squad in the 2024 T20 World Cup as the Black Caps became the first team to announce their squad for the tournament on Monday. Bowler Matt Henry and batting all-rounder Rachin Ravindra are the only two members of the 15-player squad without prior experience in the T20 World Cup.

Veteran fast bowler and New Zealand Test captain Tim Southee is the only player more experienced than Williamson in the squad. Southee will be making his seventh T20 World cup appearance. New Zealand have also confirmed the inclusion of senior pacer Trent Boult, who will be playing in the tournament for the fifth time.

"Matt has worked exceptionally hard on his skills across the phases of a T20 game to come back into selection consideration," head coach Gary Stead said in New Zealand Cricket's press release. “Rachin has made every post a winner in the past 12 months and it was exciting to see him continue that trajectory over the summer in the T20 format against Australia.”

“We expect the venues in the West Indies to offer quite varied conditions and feel we’ve selected a squad with the scope to adapt to those conditions," Stead further said.

Williamson had returned to T20 International cricket in January, after taking a break from the format for over a year due to injuries, during New Zealand's five-match T20I series against Pakistan at home. He ended up playing just two matches in the series before sitting out due to a hamstring injury but seems to have returned to full fitness in his recent matches playing for the Gujarat Titans in the 2024 Indian Premier League.

Alongside the 15 players selected in the tournament squad, pace bowler Ben Sears will travel and train with the team as injury cover. NZC further said that Adam Milne was ruled out following surgery to repair an ankle injury, and Kyle Jamieson was also unavailable for selection as he continues to rehabilitate his back injury.

The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup starts on June 1, with New Zealand facing Afghanistan in their first match on June 7 in Group C. Co-hosts West Indies, Papua New Guinea and Uganda make up the rest of the group.

New Zealand squad for 2024 T20 World Cup: Kane Williamson (C), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee

Ben Sears - Travelling Reserve

Read Also: problematics | the length of a cricket run