Mitchell Santner to lead New Zealand against Bangladesh in T20Is in Williamson’s absence

Kane Williamson, the designated captain for Bangladesh T20Is, alongside lanky seamer Kyle Jamieson, is rested on medical advice, while all-rounder Mitchell Santner will lead the home side. Young Rachin Ravindra and seamer Jacob Duffy are named replacements.

Considering New Zealand’s upcoming schedule and with a focus on the South Africa and Australia series, Kane and Jamieson are provided extended rest.

Meanwhile, skipper Kane Williamson missed around seven months of competitive cricket after suffering a knee injury in March earlier this year and returned during the 2023 World Cup. Per a statement released by New Zealand Cricket (NZC), Kane will undergo knee rehabilitation before rejoining the team for the marquee series.

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"Kane will undergo a period of knee rehabilitation and strengthening following his recent return to play in India and Bangladesh," NZC said.

As for Jamieson, he will sit out of the three T20Is against Bangladesh and Pakistan in January 2024. Earlier, the seamer had withdrawn from the Bangladesh ODIs when they were leading the series 2-0.

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"We want both Kane and Kyle to be in the best possible place leading into the next block of Test cricket against South Africa and Australia," Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach, said in a statement.

"Based on discussions with the medical staff and the players, it was decided a period of rehabilitation and conditioning was the best option for both of them,” he added.

Talking about the fast bowler Jacob - a seasoned T20 cricketer, Stead said he brings a lot of experience, and having worked on his white-ball game, he can come in handy.

The head coach further praised the young Rachin Ravindra, who has shown a desire to learn and get better at his game.

"Jacob is an experienced T20 cricketer and always brings a lot when he is part of the BlackCaps environment. He's worked very hard on his white-ball skills in recent seasons. Rachin adds to any environment he's a part of, and has a great desire to learn and develop his game - across all three formats,” Stead said.

New Zealand squad for T20Is against Bangladesh -

Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee