T20 World Cup 2026: ‘Michael Bracewell has made really good progress’ – Rob Walter hopeful of allrounder’s impact at marquee event

New Zealand allrounder Michael Bracewell, who missed the recent five-match T20I series against India due to a calf injury, is expected to recover in time for the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. He will have an opportunity to prove his match fitness in New Zealand’s warm-up fixture against the USA in Mumbai, scheduled three days before their tournament opener against Afghanistan in Chennai.

Despite spending nearly three weeks in India, New Zealand were unable to field their strongest XI in any of the matches due to a combination of injuries and player unavailability. The side came close to assembling a full-strength team towards the latter stages of the series, but allrounder Jimmy Neesham fell ill, while the team management also opted against rushing fast bowler Lockie Ferguson back into competitive action.

“I mean his progression has been really good and he’s made good progress. Certainly everything seems to be on track for the warm-up game against the USA,” said head coach Rob Walter as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Although Neesham has not featured for the Black Caps since November 2025, he has remained active in franchise T20 cricket, with stints in Bangladesh’s BPL and the UAE’s ILT20. The conditions in those tournaments are not vastly different from those in India and Sri Lanka, the two host nations for the T20 World Cup.

“Jimmy, who was a bit ill at the back end of this competition, was obviously very much involved in the Bangladesh Premier League all the way through to winning a final. So our guys have been very active from a T20 point of view, mostly involved in the series as well. So from a preparation point of view, I feel like we can’t really feel to be unready,” said Walter.

Finn Allen arrived in India on the back of a title-winning overseas T20 league campaign, having smashed a record 38 sixes, the most by a batter in a single Big Bash League season, for the Perth Scorchers. He carried that explosive form into the series, bringing his trademark power-hitting to India and testing the Indian bowlers on several occasions. Allen was particularly aggressive against Varun Chakravarthy, scoring 19 runs off eight deliveries.

“I think you would expect that the conditions are very different in Australia to India. So the question always to ask is, can form transfer from venue to venue? We certainly saw that happen. So it was wonderful to see his run of form continue and long may it continue,” said Walter.

Ferguson worked hard to get himself ready: Walter

Walter was also encouraged by Ferguson’s timely return from injury in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. After straining his calf during the ILT20 and subsequently withdrawing from the BBL, Ferguson marked his comeback in the fifth T20I against India with a double strike. The right-arm pacer was operating at full pace on a flat surface and removed both Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson with trademark rapid deliveries.

With Adam Milne ruled out of the T20 World Cup, Ferguson is set to assume the role of New Zealand’s primary force in the tournament. He has also added a knuckle ball to his arsenal, a variation that could prove effective in conditions in India and Sri Lanka.

“He has worked incredibly hard to get himself ready for the World Cup and ready to play the game [fifth T20I]. And he said he was going to ease into it, but he was bowling 145. So if that’s him easing in, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s to come. But yeah, it’s always great to see someone with extra pace like that and the impact that it had on the style of the game in particular. So wonderful to have him back with a fern on his chest,” said Walter.

The scores will be varied much from India series: Walter

The fifth T20I between India and New Zealand produced a staggering 496 runs, the second-highest match aggregate in T20I history. Overall, the series, largely played on placid pitches, turned out to be a high-scoring affair. However, Walter expects that trend to shift during the T20 World Cup, where conditions and the higher stakes are likely to demand a more balanced contest.

“I think it [scores] could be varied. Very often sort of the intent changes a little bit when there’s a little bit more on the results. And perhaps that might not be the case for some pool games. But certainly when it gets to the back end of the tournament, not often you see that sort of freedom played with because obviously the potential result sort of stifles the play a little bit more. That being said, overall the scores tend to have increased in T20 cricket,” said Walter.

“So that’s something we’ve come to expect. But I don’t want to take anything away from the way that the Indian batters have batted in this series for four out of the five games. It’s been pretty impressive and put us under a lot of pressure,” he added.