New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team Players

The players’ performance comparison between New Zealand National Cricket Team and West Indies Cricket Team has always been a clash of two divergent cricketing cultures. New Zealand are usually stereotyped as a disciplined team, while West Indies cricket is renowned for its avowedly talent-heavy but free-spirit culture—the natural stroke-makers, fast bowlers, and all-round talents.

The two teams faced off in a five-match ODI series in the Caribbean in 2026. The series was held from July 11 to July 21 in Guyana and Barbados. This was followed by an opening win for the West Indies, winning handsomely by 7 wickets, New Zealand winning three in a row, and the hosts coming back to take the final ODI, ending with a 2-wicket victory. The series ended with a 3–2 win for West Indies.

This post includes the New Zealand National Cricket Team and West Indies Cricket Team players, captain, squad and highlights of the important performances together with the T20 World Cup squads for men (2026).

New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team Players: 2026 ODI Squads

Experienced all-rounder Mitchell Santner captained the New Zealand squad for a limited-over-only five-match ODI tour. The 16-player squad released by the federation had a combined mix of experience and new blood.

New Zealand Cricket also had confirmed that Jacob Duffy made his international comeback, with Matt Fisher earning a first ODI call-up. Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke were rested with workload in mind. Kane Williamson missed out owing to family reasons and Devon Conway was given a break, while Rachin Ravindra went off to play in Major League Cricket.

Ben Sears was ruled out having sprained his ankle, with Ben Lister coming into the squad to replace him.

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New Zealand ODI Squad

The official New Zealand squad announcement listed Mitchell Santner as captain and included 16 players, with Fisher uncapped in ODI cricket at the time.

West Indies ODI Squad for the New Zealand Series

Wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope was the captain of this West Indies squad. Cricket West Indies named an expanded ODI squad of 15 players for the first three ODIs.

Among the most notable new entrants was young wrist-spinner Vitel Lawes, who earned his first senior international call-up after a breakout performance at the ICC Under-19 World Cup. Shamar Springer withdrew from the selection after his mother died, and Keemo Paul came in as his replacement.

West Indies ODI Squad

This was the squad that Cricket West Indies announced for the first three matches. The team management was led by coach Daren Sammy.

The squad was different for the matches that followed. Shimron Hetmyer had been released from his Major League Cricket commitments and was brought back into the XI, while Brandon King was also available in the wider squad. In contrast, just days before, Hetmyer was a member of the 5 ODIs playing XI which comprised Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope, Rutherford Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri, Joseph Jayden Seales, Vitel Lawes.

New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team Players: Key Names

When people look for New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team players, they generally look for some match-winning players of any team. There were many such names in the 2026 series.

Mitchell Santner

ZIM vs NZ ODI series: At the time of this treachery, Mitchell Santner was not even captaining New Zealand in the ODI series. He is a left-arm spinner and handy lower order batter has been an important part of New Zealand in all the formats.

Bowling is not the only aspect of his game that makes him an asset. Santner is more than capable of controlling the middle overs, scoring runs with the bat and providing calmness in pressure situations.

Tom Latham

Tom Latham was New Zealand’s most consistent batter of the series. He also provided wicketkeeping options.

Latham made 69 from 71 in the fifth ODI, hitting six fours and a six. He along with the rest of the New Zealand attack limited New Zealand to 268/9.

Will Young

Although the other significant contributor with the bat for New Zealand was Will Young. He scored a total of 176 runs in the five-match ODI series at an average of 35.20. Total 176 runs of his brought him second place in overall run-scoring list of the series.

Daryl Mitchell

Daryl Mitchell is an experienced middle-order batter and all-rounder. He was included in the New Zealand squad but missed out on a few matches of the series.

Another option for Zimbabwe when building the side is his all-round abilities with bat and ball which enables New Zealand to cover both departments.

Jacob Duffy

Jacob Duffy was brought back into the fold in time for the West Indies tour. He was selected at a time when the New Zealand pace attack was devoid of several first-choice fast bowlers due to workload management — his experience would prove invaluable.

Shai Hope

Shai Hope lead West Indies for the ODI series. The wicketkeeper-batter is one of the few experienced names in the West Indies setup.

Hope scored 143 at an average of 35.75 from five matches in the series.

Keacy Carty

Keacy Carty finished as the leading run-scorer in the five-match series.

In five innings, he scored 194 runs at an average of 38.80. His consistency was one of the key batting stories in the series.

Sherfane Rutherford

New Zealand: The CSK star helped the New Zealand batting order with his left-handed power. He hit a total of 101 runs in the five ODIs, including six sixes.

Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer once more demonstrated that he knows when to play the slowest ODI innings. Having played the first few matches of the tournament owing to his Major League Cricket commitments, he has since rejoined up with the West Indies side.

In the fifth ODI, Hetmyer made 69 not out as West Indies chased down a target of 269 to win by two wickets.

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New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team Players: Series Schedule

The five ODIs were played at two main venues: the Guyana National Stadium and Kensington Oval in Barbados.

West Indies won the first match, New Zealand took the next three, and the home team won the final game to finish the series 3–2.

New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team Players: Series Stats

The individual numbers provide a good picture of which players had the biggest contributions.

These figures come from the completed 2026 New Zealand tour of West Indies statistics.

How the Five ODIs Were Decided

West Indies won the opening ODI. They chased down New Zealand’s total of 267 with three wickets and seven balls spare.

The second ODI was a wake up call for New Zeland. West Indies made 138 all out before New Zealand cruised to 141 for five in only 32.4 overs.

The third ODI went in a similar fashion.[1] West Indies could only muster 140, and New Zealand reached their total at 141/4.

The fourth ODI was a far tighter affair. New Zealand chased 189 and were 189/9, winning on the last ball with 35 balls remaining.

It had taken fifth ODI finally returned to West Indies. New Zealand: 268/9 in 50 overs (Williamson 100, Munro 65); West Indies: 269/8 in 47.3 overs

Fifth ODI: A Close Finish at Kensington Oval

The fifth contest was especially significant as the series sat level at 2–2.

It was New Zealand’s turn to bat first after West Indies chose to field result after winning the toss. That meant Tom Latham made 69, Nick Kelly (64), and Will Young (56). New Zealand eventually reached 268/9.

Chasing 269 to wrap up the series for West Indies.

The chase was built around Hetmyer’s un69. He was well supported from the middle and lower order as West Indies reached 269/8 in 47.3 overs

As a result the final ODI went to West Indies by two wickets, handing them the five-match series 3–2.

Who Is the Captain of the West Indies T20 World Cup Team for 2026?

The captain of the West Indies team at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 was Shai Hope.

The ICC confirmed the 15-member squad in January 2026, with Hope taking charge of the side. He had previously taken over the T20I captaincy from Rovman Powell.

West Indies T20 World Cup 2026 Squad

The ICC lists this as the official West Indies squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Who Are the Players in the New Zealand Cricket Team for the T20 World Cup 2026?

New Zealand’s 2026 T20 World Cup team was captained by Mitchell Santner.

The squad included experienced white-ball players such as Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry.

New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 Squad

Ben Sears was listed as a reserve. The ICC’s final-squads announcement confirms Mitchell Santner as captain and gives the full New Zealand squad.

Where Can I Watch NZ vs WI?

The arrangement relied on country for the ODI series in 2026.

New Zealand Cricket confirmed the series was available on ESPN via Sky Sport NZ, ESPN on Disney+, and Sport Now in New Zealand.

Cricket fans can check the live score, match commentary and complete scorecards on the official cricket websites and established scorecard platforms.

As the July 2026 ODI series has already been completed, fans searching for West Indies cricket team vs New Zealand National cricket team live score should check current series schedule instead of fixtures of July months.

New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team: Playing XI in the 5th ODI

The fifth ODI provides a useful example of the players actually selected for the decisive match.

West Indies Playing XI

New Zealand Playing XI

The fifth ODI match information confirms these playing groups and the respective captains, Shai Hope and Mitchell Santner.

New Zealand vs West Indies Head-to-Head Context

This rivalry between these two teams has spanned across decades of Test, ODI and T20 cricket.

Another intriguing chapter was added with that series in 2026. ZC: New Zealand bounced back from losing the first match to claim three victories in a row, but West Indies remained nerveless right at the end.

The series also displayed the necessity of squad depth. However, both teams were missing players for various reasons — workload management, injuries, family commitments and franchise cricket.

New Zealand’s contingent of established fast bowlers was an issue, paving the way for Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher, Nathan Smith and Jayden Lennox. West Indies also included young players like Vitel Lawes along with seasoned international names.

Young Players to Watch

Vitel Lawes

One of the more interesting players that made West Indies’ squad was Vitel Lawes. He played well at the Under-19 World Cup and at the age of 19, he got his first senior call-up.

The second Test assured that West Indies were taking a look beyond their erstwhile heroes in planning for the future.

Matthew Fisher

New Zealand – Matthew Fisher was handed his debut ODI call-up. When naming him, NZC pointed to his List A record as well as pace-bowling talks.

Jayden Lennox

In New Zealand’s bowling contingent was another option in Jayden Lennox. It provided another spin option to a line-up already including veteran Mitchell Santner.

Why This Series Matters for Both Teams

It had to be more than just another ODI series bilaterally in 2026.

The matches served as preparatory match for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 for West Indies. Cricket West Indies called it part of its long-term 50-over plans.

The series was also a chance for New Zealand to establish a squad for the next ODI cycle. The team went into the series with a number of regular fast bowlers sidelined and players like Duffy and Fisher getting opportunities.

That makes the players list of New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team better as compared to directly checking named athletes. The format of the game can dictate squad.Which means, not every player involved in an ODI series will be the same for a T20 World Cup.

New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team Players: Quick Comparison

The statistical figures above are from the completed five-match 2026 ODI series.

Conclusion

New Zealand National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team players list from 2026 contains a solid blend of established international players with emerging talents.

Mitchell Santner (c) New Zealand, Shai Hope (c) West Indies Keacy Carty topped the run-scoring chart for the five-match ODI series with 194 runs, New Zealand’s Will Young finishing second overall with 176. There was also a strong contribution from Tom Latham, who hit 167.

At the Kensington Oval, West Indies won the fifth ODI and with it the series 3–2. It also provided younger players, including Vitel Lawes and Matthew Fisher, with valuable experience on the international scene.

As a fan if you are searching for West Indies cricket team vs New Zealand national cricket team then it is important to check the format and series as well. And the ODI squads, T20I squads and T20 World Cup squads can all be different. The ICC separately confirmed the squads for the 2026 T20 World Cup, where both West Indies were led by Shai Hope and New Zealand by Mitchell Santner.

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Frequently Asked Questions