Kiwis look to seal qualification as they face Canada in first-ever T20I meeting

Big picture: New Zealand meet Canada for the first time in T20Is

A win against Canada on Tuesday will all but confirm New Zealand’s place in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup. Victory would also officially eliminate Canada, with South Africa already through from Group D after winning all three of their matches.

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New Zealand and Canada have met only three times in international cricket, all in ODI World Cups. Their most recent clash came in the 2011 edition in Mumbai, and the Kiwis have won all three encounters so far. They will start heavy favourites to extend that record, even though pace spearhead Lockie Ferguson is unavailable after returning home for the birth of his first child. He is expected to rejoin the squad ahead of the Super Eight.

In Ferguson’s absence, Kyle Jamieson is set to make his T20 World Cup debut. Jamieson was not part of the original squad but has earned a call-up at a crucial stage of the tournament.

Canada, meanwhile, have shown flashes of promise without converting them into wins. They pushed South Africa and had UAE under pressure in Delhi, reducing them to 66 for 4 in the 13th over while defending 150. However, they let the game slip, allowing Aryansh Sharma and Sohaib Khan to guide UAE home. Against New Zealand — and later Afghanistan — Canada cannot afford similar lapses.

In the spotlight: Kyle Jamieson and Saad Bin Zafar

Jamieson may not match Ferguson’s raw pace, but his steep bounce, hard lengths and effective slower balls make him a challenging proposition, particularly for batters facing him for the first time.

For Canada, left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar will be key. Once nicknamed “Vettori” on the club circuit, Saad attacks the stumps and keeps things tight, reflected in his impressive T20I economy rate of 6.02 across 67 matches. At 39, he knows opportunities at this level are limited and will be keen to engineer an upset on the big stage.

Team news

Jamieson is expected to slot in for Ferguson, unless New Zealand opt to rotate and bring in veteran legspinner Ish Sodhi. Canterbury allrounder Cole McConchie has been officially added to the squad as a replacement for the injured Michael Bracewell.

Canada are likely to stick with the same XI that lost to South Africa and UAE.

New Zealand (probable):
Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (capt), Jimmy Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy

Canada (probable):
Dilpreet Bajwa (capt), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel

Pitch and conditions: Day game at Chepauk

This will be the third day match of the tournament at MA Chidambaram Stadium, meaning dew should not be a factor. With an 11am start, there could be some early moisture and bounce, as seen in the New Zealand–Afghanistan fixture, but the surface has offered limited turn so far.

Stats and trivia

• Mark Chapman played a T20 against Canada in 2013 while representing Hong Kong.
• Since the start of 2025, Finn Allen (116) and Tim Seifert (96) are among the leading six-hitters in T20 cricket, with Dewald Brevis topping the list at 132.
• Yuvraj Samra has a strike rate of 159.37, the highest among Canada batters with a minimum of 250 balls faced in T20Is.

Quotes

“South Africa were very good in all facets of the game the other day. On our day as well, we’ve taken South Africa in different formats.”
— Glenn Phillips on New Zealand’s confidence despite defeat

“It was not easy for the team to come up after that huge loss. We need to regroup as a team.”
— Shreyas Movva on Canada’s response to the UAE defeat