Pakistan, Dec. 24 -- New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has returned from injury and will lead the Black Caps in their upcoming Twenty20 series against India, marking the team's final warm-up ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. The spinner had missed the recent Test series against West Indies due to a groin strain but has now been declared fit to resume leadership duties in the shorter format.

While Santner will skip the three One-day Internationals in India in early January as part of his recovery plan, he is set to return for the five-match T20 series later in the month. The matches are seen as a key opportunity for New Zealand to adapt to subcontinental conditions before the World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka from...