Jimmy Neesham hungry for silverware with Black Caps at 2026 T20 World Cup
Thursday, 8 January 2026
Jimmy Neesham might be the most motivated player at the T20 World Cup.
The 35-year-old was named in the Black Caps squad on Wednesday for the tournament starting in India and Sri Lanka early next month - adding to a vastly experienced group.
And the allrounder has long been clear on his goals with the national side.
“It’s very easy to say what I want. I want to win a World Cup for New Zealand,” Neesham said earlier this season after a late call-up into the T20 squad.
“That’s the reason I’m still playing and still available. It’s a very, very clear goal of mine.”
In 2019, Neesham - who has played 12 tests, 76 ODIs and 93 T20Is - took 3-43 as New Zealand and England were tied at the completion of their 50 overs in the dramatic ODI World Cup winner-take-all. He was then entrusted with facing the first ball off NZ’s bat in the Super Over against speedster Jofra Archer, with the visitors needing 16 for victory.
He struck the second legitimate ball of the over for six, then had two consecutive swings resulting in two runs apiece, before a single off the penultimate ball before batting partner Martin Guptill was run out attempting a second off the final delivery.
Neesham played his last test in 2017, so wasn’t part of the Black Caps’ triumph in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 and was in the losing NZ XI against Australia in the T20 World Cup in Dubai later that year.
After Rachin Ravindra was suddenly ruled out of the Chappell-Hadlee series with Australia at the start of October, Neesham got the call as his replacement and in his first appearance, took 4-6 with his right-arm seamers, and remained in the squad for the remainder of the 2025 home white-ball campaign.
At the upcoming World Cup, the left-handed batter will be vying for an allrounder spot with the likes of Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell as the Black Caps face Afghanistan, South Africa, the UAE and Canada in Group D.
“It’s a really difficult role to nail,” Neesham said after starring against Australia at Bay Oval.
“You’re coming in at times in the game where you’re four down for not many and have to consolidate, or you’re coming in for the 19th [or] 20th over and having to slog straight away.
“You can go through periods of time where you don’t contribute for a little bit.
“I’ve played a lot of games now, 300-and-something games, I’m well-experienced in the failure side of the role.
“The most important thing is being able to put those bad performances behind you quickly and have faith that you’re doing the right things, and that those performances will be around the corner.”
Neesham turned down a national contract with New Zealand Cricket in 2022 to allow him to play more T20 franchise cricket, and the globetrotter has turned out for double-digit teams since.
The New Zealand squad for the 2026 World Cup, which boasts 1064 T20I caps, will be captained by Mitchell Santner - one of five players undergoing return-to-play plans from injuries.
The others are opener Finn Allen, batter Mark Chapman, and bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry.
With Ferguson and Henry's partners due to give birth during the tournament, they’re likely to be granted short-term paternity leave.
Black Caps squad for 2026 T20 World Cup
Mitchell Santner (capt), Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson. 16th man: Kyle Jamieson.
Black Caps schedule
Warm-up - v USA - Friday 6 February, 2.30am NZT (Navi Mumbai)
World Cup group play
v Afghanistan - Sunday 8 February, 6.30pm NZT (Chennai)
v UAE - Tuesday 10 February, 10.30pm NZT (Chennai)
v South Africa - Sunday 15 February, 2.30am NZT (Ahmedabad)
v Canada - Tuesday 17 February, 6.30pm NZT (Chennai)