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New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell To Miss 5th T20I Vs Pakistan; Rachin Ravindra Called In 

image-lrlj3hpsDaryl Mitchell [X.com]

New Zealand will be resting their solid middle-order batter, Daryl Mitchell, for the fifth and final T20I of the series against Pakistan in Christchurch on Sunday (January 21). With the BlackCaps hoping to rest and rotate players as part of a "workload management" scheme, Mitchell has been replaced by allrounder Rachin Ravindra in the squad. 

Mitchell, who was one of the heroes of New Zealand's victory in the fourth T20I at the Hagley Oval and has been a key reason why they stand on the verge of a 5-0 whitewash, will be undergoing a brief resting period before resuming his playing duties for the remainder of the summer. 


The Kiwis are scheduled to play three T20Is versus Trans-Tasman rivals Australia as part of further preparations towards the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in June before the focus shifts to the pair of World Test Championship (WTC) fixtures against them and South Africa later in the season.


New Zealand Rest Daryl Mitchell For Fifth T20I 

Mitchell won his second 'Player of the Match' award with a match-winning knock of 72 not out off 44 deliveries in the penultimate game of the series, where he finished with a tally of 158 runs made at a jaw-dropping strike-rate of 183.72. 

"Daryl is an important player for us across all three formats and ensuring he’s in the best place to perform in international cricket is vital," New Zealand coach Gary Stead said in a media release as the elegant right-hander now rests himself ahead of a critical phase where he also plays IPL 2024 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in March-May. 

Mitchell's absence gives a valuable opportunity to left-hand batter Ravindra, one of the bright young talents of world cricket, who shined wonderfully at the ICC World Cup 2023 but hasn't had consistent game time since. 

"Rachin is coming off a period of rest himself and will bring a valuable skill set to the group in this final match as he continues his return to cricket," Stead added. 

New Zealand could also rest their premier opening batter and wicketkeeper Devon Conway for the fifth game. A decision on him will be taken on the morning of the fixture in Christchurch.