SA vs NZ: Keshav Maharaj to lead youthful Proteas squad in post-World Cup series

South Africa has named a much-changed squad that includes five uncapped players ​for its five-match Twenty20 tour of New Zealand ‌next month, leaving behind most of ​the team that have qualified ⁠for the Super Eights at the ongoing World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Batters Connor Esterhuizen, Dian ‌Forrester and Jordan Hermann, all-rounder Eathan Bosch and teenage seamer Nqobani Mokoena ‌will all hope to make their ‌international ⁠debuts on the tour.

Hermann is the ⁠younger brother of Rubin, who is also in the squad and has been capped in One Day Internationals ​and T20 matches ‌for South Africa, while Bosch is the younger sibling of Corbin, who has impressed at the World Cup.

The side will be ‌captained by spinner Keshav Maharaj, with ​a return for seamers Gerald Coetzee, Lutho Sipamla and Ottneil Baartman.

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There are ⁠three players from the current World Cup squad who will tour – Maharaj, spinner George Linde ‌and all-rounder Jason Smith.

“With this series taking place directly after the T20 World Cup, the majority of that squad will return home, which creates a great opportunity for this group of players to step ‌into the international environment and show what they’re about ​at this level,” South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said.

The five-match series will ⁠be played between March 15-25.

Published on Feb 20, 2026