South Africa vs New Zealand T20I series - Maharaj to captain SA squad with five debutants

Simon Lewis

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Last updated: 1 hour ago

Simon Lewis 1 hour ago

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South Africa have named a 15-player squad to take on New Zealand in a T20I series straight after the World Cup.
Keshav Maharaj will captain the side, which includes five uncapped players.
The series will be played in New Zealand from 15-25 March 2026.

Keshav Maharaj wll captain the Proteas in New Zealand (Getty Images).

Maharaj to captain South Africa

Maharaj to captain South Africa
Proteas Women to tour with the men’s side
Chance for young talent to impress
Proteas Men's T20I Squad against New Zealand

Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj will captain South Africa on their five-match T20I series tour of New Zealand which takes places shortly after the T20 Cricket World Cup. Maharaj will captain an inexperienced side which features five uncapped players along with just three players who are taking part in the World Cup.

Maharaj will be joined on tour by his World Cup team-mates George Linde and Jason Smith. The debutants include batters Connor Esterhuizen (Lions), Dian Forrester (North West) and Jordan Hermann (Dafabet Warriors), along with all-rounder Eathan Bosch (Dolphins).

The Dolphins’ 19-year-old paceman Nqobani Mokoena is also included in the squad as reward for a successful SA20 campaign with the Paarl Royals.

Proteas Women to tour with the men’s side

The T20I series will be contested as five night matches, with the added attraction of the Proteas Women taking to the field in the afternoon to play against the New Zealand Women before each of the men's matches.

"Playing in our first bilateral double-header series alongside the Proteas Women adds to the excitement,” said Proteas Men's head coach Shukri Conrad at the announcement of the squad.

"With this series taking place directly after the T20 World Cup, the majority of that squad will return home, which creates a great opportunity for this group of players to step into the international environment and show what they're about at this level.

"Keshav has experience captaining the Proteas and has led two teams to the SA20 finals. His leadership and calm presence make him the ideal person to lead this group on this tour,” added Conrad.

Chance for young talent to impress

"The batting unit is particularly exciting for this tour. Tony brings experience to the top order, while Connor, Dian and Jordan have all demonstrated the ability to play positive, attacking cricket for their domestic teams,” said Conrad.

"Nqobani showed during SA20 that he is an exciting young quick with the ability to make an impact and this series will give him the perfect opportunity to expose him to the international setup. Touring New Zealand will challenge their skills in different conditions."