Unchanged West Indies bowl, Sodhi replaces injured Neesham

Neesham misses out due to a shoulder knock sustained in a training mishap

Tristan Lavalette

06-Nov-2025 • 2 hrs ago

Toss West Indies opt to bowl vs New Zealand

Captain Shai Hope won the toss and elected to bowl as an unchanged West Indies look to grab a stranglehold of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in Auckland.

New Zealand will be without allrounder Jimmy Neesham, who misses due to a shoulder knock sustained in a training mishap and he has been replaced by legspinner Ish Sodhi.

It is a quick turnaround for the shorthanded teams after yesterday's dramatic opener on the same ground. West Indies drew first blood with a seven-run victory in what was a relatively even contest between bat and ball on an Eden Park ground renowned for high-scoring contests.

After an impressive defence of a seemingly modest total, West Indies made a successful start to the tour following a quick turnaround from playing in Bangladesh. It was the West Indies' fifth straight T20I victory and their first win against the Black Caps in New Zealand since 2008.

It was a disappointing start for New Zealand in their first match since the retirement of Kane Williamson from T20I cricket. They have not recorded a win in the format on home soil this season, having lost rain-affected series against Australia and England.

Much like in game one, clear conditions are forecast with the teams hoping to muster far better batting efforts on a hard surface.

New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Zakary Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.

West Indies: Alick Athanaze, Brandon King, Shai Hope (capt/wk), Roston Chase, Ackeem Auguste, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales.

Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth

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