Blackcaps have a loss and a win in their first two T20Is vs West Indies, which is roughly aligned with their 11-16 record in T20 internationals at Eden Park. The Garden of Eden is not a fortress for Aotearoa in this format but they are still 10-6 in T20Is this year with a continuation of some dominant mahi, as well as a well timed knock from Mark Chapman.

Mark Chapman T20I scores this year:
9, 1, 94, 24, 3, 10, 0, 3, 0, 4, 28, 7, 78#NZvWI
— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) November 6, 2025

Chapman smacked 78 runs @ 278sr in the win vs West Indies. This was his second 50+ score this year and it bumped his average up over 20 after being the only certified batter averaging below 20 for most of this year. Chapman has sustained a nifty strike-rate throughout his lean patch for runs though and his knock at Eden Park now gives Chapman the second highest strike-rate behind Tim Seifert for the five New Zealand batters with 200+ runs this year.

The Blackcaps T20 batting core are all operating with excellent strike-rates, although none of them are close to Finn Allen's 211.7sr this year. Keep in mind that Allen and Glenn Phillips (only played once this year) are 1st 11 T20 troopers for Aotearoa, but they are lurking in the injury shadows right now.

Here are the players who have scored 100+ T20I runs this year ranked by strike-rates...

Finn Allen: 144 runs @ 211.76sr
Mitchell Santner: 133 runs @ 190sr
Tim Seifert: 559 runs @ 164.4sr
Mark Chapman: 261 runs @ 159.1sr
Rachin Ravindra: 262 runs @ 150.5sr
Tim Robinson: 334 runs @ 143.3sr
Michael Bracewell: 165 runs @ 142.2sr
Daryl Mitchell: 257 runs @ 138.1sr
Devon Conway: 164 runs @ 120.5sr

For more background, Phillips has T20I and T20 batting strike-rates around 140.

There is only one bloke on that list who is below 138sr and Conway continues to cling to his Blackcaps role by a thread. Conway has struggled his way to 29 runs @ 80.5sr in two innings against West Indies and the evidence suggests that Conway should not be viewed as a 1st 11 T20I Blackcap right now...

2020: 58avg/151.3sr
2021: 47.5avg/135sr
2022: 47.3avg/122.4sr
2023: 13avg/109.8sr
2024: 22.8avg/118.5sr
2025: 23.4avg/120.5sr

Conway needs a score like Chapman but there is a clear difference in how these two have battled through T20I batting in recent years. Conway is in his fourth consecutive year of T20I batting below 130sr and Chapman is in his fourth consecutive year over 130sr. Conway isn't good enough at wicket-keeping to be selected as a specialist and Mitch Hay is part of this squad, but changing wicket-keepers would require a tweak in the recipe of having the wicket-keeper as an opening batter - mainly driven by having Seifert as the best batter.

Bracewell's form could help frame that decision as he is averaging 20.6 with the bat and 52.6 with the ball this year. With 6 runs @ 67sr in his two innings and 2 overs @ 11rpo vs West Indies, Bracewell's form plateau prior to this series has continued. Here's how his yearly all-round mahi looks...

2022: 30avg/183.6sr | 9.8avg/5.2rpo
2023: 7.6avg/71.8sr | 13avg/5.7rpo
2024: 20.7avg/123.9sr | 37avg/8.6rpo
2025: 20.6avg/142.2sr | 52.6avg/9.3rpo

Meanwhile, Santner's slugging has become undeniable as he's second on the strike-rate rankings listed above. Here are his recent scores...

36 runs @ 240sr
27 runs @ 108sr
34 runs @ 200sr
27 runs @ 93sr
55 runs @ 196sr
18* @ 225sr

The Santner/Sodhi combo played key roles in the win vs West Indies as Santner took 3w @ 7.7rpo and Ish Sodhi took 3w @ 9.7rpo. This was the first game Santner had 3w since his 4w vs Bangladesh in December 2023 and prior to this game, Santner had 1w in his last five T20Is. Santner is averaging 30+ in T20I bowling this year for just the third year of his career and he could dip below that mark if he finds a groove, plus there is balance offered by his top notch slugging with the bat.

This is one of Santner's worst years of T20I bowling, Bracewell's worst year of T20I bowling and one of Sodhi's best years of T20I bowling. Sodhi is second for Aotearoa T20I wickets this year and Sodhi has the same 15avg as Jacob Duffy, with at least a wicket in seven of his nine innings bowled in 2025.

Sodhi's best years of T20I bowling

2021: 27w @ 16.9avg/8.1rpo
2025: 15w @ 15.2avg/8rpo
2016: 11w @ 13.9avg/6.4rpo
2017: 11w @ 14.6avg/7.3rpo

Sodhi's lowest strike-rates by year

2025: 11.3
2017: 12
2021: 12.4
2016: 12.9

Santner, Sodhi and Duffy lead Blackcaps on 3w vs West Indies. Duffy leads Aotearoa for T20I wickets this year with 28w @ 15.9avg/7.3rpo and his legendary streak doesn't look like easing up any time soon. Duffy has been the most active T20I bowler for Aotearoa this year with his 17 innings and 60.4 overs being far more than anyone else, yet he is also one of the most efficient bowlers and he is the only kiwi who has 5+ wickets conceding less than 8rpo.

Jacob Duffy wickets in T20I games this year:
1, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 3, 0, 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1#NZvWI
— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) November 6, 2025

Duffy is one of the most efficient bowlers and not the most efficient because Jimmy Neesham still managed to snare a wicket in the first game vs West Indies. Neesham has the lowest average and strike-rate of the main Blackcaps bowlers right now, but his batting has been weirdly horrible with 9.1avg/107sr in seven innings this year.

This is relevant because the middle order is the most clogged zone for Blackcaps at the moment, which will only increase if Hay gets an opportunity. Bevon Jacobs isn't in the squad either and the two younger lads aren't all-rounders, while Santner/Bracewell/Neesham are. Depending on what Zak Foulkes and Nathan Smith do over the next week, this could get more complicated or more clarity would be on offer.

Hay isn't commanding selection though with 10.7avg/105sr in T20I batting this year. He does have a T20 career strike-rate of 140 after 36 innings and an ODI record of 41.5avg/104sr after five innings, to tell the story of why he is selected in the squad.

One last note: Kane Williamson retired because he wasn't a 1st 11 T20I player for Aotearoa anymore.

Blackcaps T20 stats this year…

Batting

Tim Seifert: 559 runs @ 50.8avg/164sr
Tim Robinson: 334 runs @ 47.7avg/143sr
Rachin Ravindra: 262 runs @ 32.7avg/151sr
Mark Chapman: 261 runs @ 20avg159sr
Daryl Mitchell: 257 runs @ 28.5avg/138sr
Michael Bracewell: 165 runs @ 20.6avg/142sr
Devon Conway: 164 runs @ 23.4avg/120sr
Finn Allen: 144 runs @ 36avg/212sr
Mitchell Santner: 133 runs @ 66.5avg/190sr
Bevon Jacobs: 64 runs @ 32avg/121sr
Jimmy Neesham: 64 runs @ 9.1avg/107sr
Mitch Hay: 43 runs @ 10.7avg/105sr
Zak Foulkes: 26 runs @ 26avg/137sr

Bowling

Jacob Duffy: 28w @ 15.9avg/7.3rpo
Ish Sodhi: 15w @ 15.2avg/8rpo
Matt Henry: 14w @ 21.6avg/8.8rpo
Jimmy Neesham: 14w @ 13.5avg/8.2rpo
Zak Foulkes: 10w @ 28.8avg/8.9rpo
Kyle Jamieson: 9w @ 29.2avg/9.3rpo
Mitchell Santner: 9w @ 34avg/8.2rpo
Michael Bracewell: 5w @ 52.6avg/9.3rpo
Adam Milne: 4w @ 19.5avg/6.5rpo
Ben Sears: 4w @ 36.2avg/10.2rpo
Will O'Rourke: 3w @ 34.3avg/6.8rpo

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Peace and love.