New Zealand have used nine different spinners across the formats halfway through 2026 and while other pockets of Blackcaps depth have been noted around the world, spin bowling has crept under the radar. Not only does Aotearoa have at least 10 seamers chipping in with winning mahi for Blackcaps and a wide variety of spin options, but there is plenty of wicket-keeping depth to go with almost a full team of younger batters who are hungry for regular roles.

Spinners used by Blackcaps this year in order of overs bowled

Test: Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Dean Foxcroft
ODI: Jayden Lennox, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Dean Foxcroft, Glenn Phillips, Adithya Ashok
T20I: Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Cole McConchie, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Jayden Lennox, Dean Foxcroft

The nine spinners used this year doesn't include Ajaz Patel who has given Aotearoa tremendous service. There will be a funky situation brewing with Jayden Lennox on the rise for Blackcaps as one of the leading wicket-takers for all ODI bowlers around the world this year, which may lead to Lennox overtaking Patel as a Test bowling option and perhaps giving Patel a challenge for the leading spinner at Central Districts.

Lennox has been a consistent presence in our ODI coverage of Blackcaps this year so folks should know all about the crafty lefty. He has bowled the most ODI overs for Aotearoa this year by a hefty margin, while Mitchell Santner has been the busiest bowler in Tests and T20Is for Blackcaps this year. Santner's made notable improvements in Test and ODI bowling recently...

Test

Before 2024: 47w @ 42.27avg
2024 onwards: 33w @ 22avg

ODI

Before 2024: 107w @ 37avg
2024 onwards: 32w @ 28.43avg

Spin wasn't a major factor in the Test series win against the shambolic cricket cartel nation this winter. Santner played in the third Test after Rachin Ravindra ticked things along earlier in the series and Dean Foxcroft had an over on his Test debut against Ireland. Glenn Phillips has settled into a spinning all-rounder role for Blackcaps in this format with a Test bowling average of 31 which is better than many who came before him, yet Phillips hasn't bowled in Tests this year.

Foxcroft is brewing with a similar skillset as Phillips and Blackcaps have intriguing selection options available to them, if Phillips and Santner are available in the same Test squad. All these spinners are good batters as well and this ensures that Blackcaps can have two, maybe three spin options in their Test team while maintaining a strong batting line up.

Michael Bracewell's dip out of the Test mixer hasn't had any impact on the depth in that format and he hasn't played any T20I cricket this year. Bracewell is second for the most overs bowled in ODIs though and has been solid so far, again showing the options available for Blackcaps as Phillips and Ravindra weren't in the Caribbean for the recent ODI series win. Blackcaps still had Santner, Bracewell and Phillips covering the all-rounder duties with Lennox the specialist.

Blackcaps made the T20 World Cup as part of their awesome 2026 adventures and they used five spinners throughout that tournament. Santner led the team and there was another flash of the useful all-rounders with Ravindra and Phillips the next busiest spinners. Cole McConchie and Ish Sodhi also played roles, with McConchie being a surprise player for Aotearoa in a similar style to Lennox.

Adithya Ashok is the youngest spinner to play for Blackcaps in recent years and he played an ODI earlier this year, his fourth game for Aotearoa at 23-years-old. Ashok is averaging under 35 in First-Class, List-A and T20 bowling which is better than most kiwi spinners and he is next best leggy behind Sodhi.

Tim Pringle and Rohit Kumar were the best spinners in domestic cricket last summer, which flowed into NZ-A selection for their tour of Sri Lanka. Pringle took wickets in all six innings bowled in Sri Lanka and along with Kumar, they add to the depth of lefty finger spinners for Blackcaps.

Leggy Peter Younghusband also featured for NZ-A in Sri Lanka but he's the second oldest player mentioned in this yarn behind Patel. There are no age limits for international cricket and no need for angst about player ages, especially not for batters and spinners, so Younghusband can't be shuffled out of this equation. That's amplified by the contributions of Lennox and McConchie, along with how the development system in Aotearoa services players of all ages.

There are plenty of youngsters on the rise as well. Ashok and Pringle are at the younger end of the spin depth, then there are spinners settling into the domestic circuit such as Otago lefty Ben Lockrose and leggy Zac Cumming along with Canterbury offie Raunaq Kapur. Snehith Reddy is fabulous all-round skills at Northern Districts and his offies will be partnered with Pringle next season.

Players are always working on their craft in Aotearoa and this means that we should expect other all-rounders to make their case. Matt Boyle's one of the best emerging batters in Aotearoa and he had his busiest bowling season last summer, mainly as a leggy but with other variations mixed in.

Dale Phillips and Lachland Stackpole are capable of bowling spin overs for Auckland, Angus Schaw is a mature spinning all-rounder for Central Districts and Jesse Tashkoff is a lefty settling into a regular role across all three formats for Wellington. Others will also emerge and the most recent NZ U19 squad (early 2026) had Reddy, Selwyn Sanjay and Harry Waite as spinners, plus another youngster to watch out for is leggy Rehman Hekmat.

The only style of spin that isn't present in Aotearoa is the lefty leggy. There are a bunch of leggies, along with righty/lefty finger tweakers who have to find ways to be effective in conditions that don't spin as much as they do around the world. This has produced a few world-class spinners and many more who have been able to do a job for Blackcaps, so there will be no shortage of spinners competing for Aotearoa selection.

Assessing New Zealand's Spin Bowling Depth In 2026

Spinners used by Blackcaps this year in order of overs bowled

Test

ODI

Read More