Courtesy: ICC/NZC
New Zealand pacer Matt Henry is set to return home from the ongoing 2026 WT20 for the birth of his second child. He has been granted paternity leave and returned home after the Super 8 match against England. Matt Henry is likely to join the team just before the semi-finals as they have qualified after Pakistan could not get past the NRR in the game against Sri Lanka. New Zealand finished second in the group and are highly likely to face South Africa in the semi-final which is set to be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Matt Henry has been excellent for New Zealand and is the second highest wicket taker for his side in this 2026 WT20 with seven wickets in seven matches at an economy of less than 7.5. Although there is no official confirmation that he will definitely return and if he is unavailable then New Zealand will have to fill that void with either Jacob Duffy or Kyle Jamieson. Speaking about this Rob Walter said "If everything works out according to plan and stars align, he should be back the day before the semi-finals. So, yeah, that's what we're hoping for. But obviously, we've got all contingencies covered if it doesn't happen like that."
Speaking about the potential clash with South Africa in the Semi-Final Rob Walter said "That really suits us because it gives us an opportunity to adapt to those conditions pretty quickly, which is something we've done well and do well. So whilst they've been playing very good cricket, we obviously believe that we can beat them. It just takes one bad day for a team that's been playing well. So we need to be ready and play our best cricket."
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New Zealand failed to qualify for the Super 8 in the 2024 WT20 but have bounced back in this edition. The Blackcaps have done well as they have had a successful World Cup winning three out of the four group stage matches and finishing second in the Super 8 and are now set to play their semi-finals in India.
