Santner flags workload concerns, backs squad depth and role clarity ahead of 2027 World Cup

As India and New Zealand navigate a hectic all-format series that has been packed inside a little over one month, home captain Mitchell Santner on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) said his players have been left "a little jarred" ahead of the ODI leg of the "taxing" assignment.

New Zealand are hosting India in a series featuring five T20Is, which the hosts lost 2-3, five ODIs beginning on Wednesday (November 4, 2026) to aid their 2027 World Cup preparations, and two Tests starting November 19 that will be crucial to their World Test Championship final qualification.

IND vs NZ ODI series: Devon Conway ruled out of first ODI with concussion, Tim Seifert set for direct swap The T20 series took place across four venues and ended on November 1 with the visiting side playing its first match within 48 hours of landing here.

"It's a very quick turnaround. With the travel and the late finishes in T20 cricket, the guys are a little bit jarred today. Recovery is a massive part of the schedule at the moment," Santner said ahead of the first ODI here.

"With one-day cricket and quick turnarounds, it can be quite taxing. You want to play your best team all the time, but with the schedules these days and the quick turnarounds, it's pretty hard to do," he added. With the 2027 World Cup now less than a year away, Santner said the tournament could mark the final ODI chapter for several members of New Zealand's ageing squad, including himself, even as they look to cement their places.

"Everyone's kind of 34 or 35. With one-day cricket being in the cycle, after this World Cup, the focus is going to shift again to T20 cricket, with the T20 World Cup being the next priority as well. So, yeah, I guess no one's told me anything yet, but it could be," said the 34-year-old.

Santner said player rotation would be important during the series, particularly with the need to manage workloads across formats. "...it creates depth, and we've seen guys coming in and stepping up straight away," he said.

He believes late finishes and dew during the T20 series had made recovery even more important, with players needing to be proactive about managing their bodies. "With the dew, especially in the T20s, it was quite prominent, particularly in the second innings.

With a 3pm (local time) start, it's probably going to be no different towards the back end of the second innings here around the country," he said. "Guys just have to be on top of it. Whatever it looks like...So training might look like another recovery day rather than bowling a lot." The New Zealand skipper also stressed that players need clarity about their roles, particularly in a format that is being played less frequently when compared to T20 cricket.

"Role clarity and understanding how you want to operate is a massive part of cricket. If you are specialising in one format, you obviously understand your role really, really clearly," he said. While most teams are playing more T20 cricket and fewer ODIs, Santner felt New Zealand had a substantial number of matches before the World Cup to get their combinations and plans in place.

"Leading into a World Cup year, we have a lot of games. Guys get the experience from one-day cricket and that leads into a massive tournament, which could be 12, 13 or 14 games potentially," he said. "I think it brings the death bowlers back into it a little bit.

Obviously, a softer ball, it might reverse a little bit," he said.