Williamson to lead New Zealand in Bangladesh T20 series

Captain Kane Williamson will make his return to international Twenty20 cricket in the three-match home series against Bangladesh, New Zealand Cricket said Sunday.

Williamson has not played 20-overs cricket for more than a year after missing the T20 series against England in September while recovering from a long-term knee injury.

The 33-year-old world-class batter recovered to help New Zealand reach the semi-finals of the 50-over World Cup in India last month, followed by the drawn Test series in Bangladesh.

Williamson joins Tim Southee, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips, who will contest the three-match T20 series after being rested for the current ODI games with Bangladesh.

The injured players include Lockie Ferguson (Achilles), Matt Henry (hamstring), Henry Shipley (back) and all-rounder Michael Bracewell (Achilles).

Opener Devon Conway is being rested for both the ODI and Twenty20 series, because of a "heavy workload in 2023", according to a New Zealand Cricket statement.

New Zealand have home Tests against South Africa and Australia in early 2024.

Coach Gary Stead said the T20 series, starting in Napier on December 27, represents the start of New Zealand's preparation for the World Cup next June in the West Indies and United States.

New Zealand T20 squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.