• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Super Smash Out Nz20 In New Zealand Cricket Gears Up For Bigger T20 Thrills In January 2027

Super Smash out, NZ20 in! New Zealand Cricket gears up for bigger T20 thrills in January 2027

Poulomi Chakraborty

NZ20 to come in action in January 2027 (Source: @BLACKCAPS/x.com)NZ20 to come in action in January 2027 (Source: @BLACKCAPS/x.com)

The cricket was in under revolution in a true sense as the T20 cricket is set to deliver a more dramatic tournament. As the franchise leagues are taking up the big stage, another thrilling T20 tournament is lined up to deliver more thrills.

Similar to IPL, BBL, and more, New Zealand has its own tournament, ‘Super Smash’. The Kiwis are all set to launch NZ20, their own privately owned T20 league, promising even bigger T20 entertainment.

NZ20 set to take over Super Smash

The introduction of the T20 format to the cricket world was a revolution, and unveiling the franchise T20 leagues was the beginning of a new era. Just like India’s IPL, Australia’s BBL, Pakistan’s PSL, the West Indies’ CPL, New Zealand came up with their own league named Super Smash. But in the coming times, they are set to come with a bigger surprise for the fans.

New Zealand is ready to join the global T20 party with its first privately owned league. NZ20, launching in January 2027, will feature six teams battling it out for the coveted trophy. With a license from New Zealand Cricket, the league will be handled privately.

Right now, Super Smash is the only running T20 league for the Kiwi fans, but soon, the NZ20 will replace the league and mark the new beginning. With a privatized body, the upcoming T20 league is determined to take T20 action to another level.

Don MacKinnon is optimistic about the league’s future, calling January 2027 the perfect launch window to start NZ20 with a bang. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he said, “The concept is a pretty simple one, really. It's to see if New Zealand cricket could provide us with a clean window, which in our mind is absolutely essential for a very short privately owned competition, ideally in the peak of summer in New Zealand.”

“So ideally for a men's competition in the month of January at potentially a lot of our holiday venues, some of our beautiful grassbanks ground and a short fan-centric, fun type competition, but one played by the very best players in New Zealand and hopefully some internationals,” he added.

Bigger than Super Smash with a stronger impact on NZ cricket

When the entire cricket world was thriving with franchise T20 leagues, New Zealand was lagging, but not anymore. Super Smash showcased battles between local associations, but NZ20 promises bigger thrills, more fan entertainment, and a lasting impact on New Zealand cricket.

“What's different about it? Well, it's partly driven out of private investment and so you get the ability to be very innovative. You have the ability to have greater capital, to invest in better fan experience both at the ground but also whether you are watching on television or online. We also think that if we get this right, we will attract the very best New Zealand players back into our domestic competitions,” he added.

As the entire cricket world is excited to welcome another thrilling T20 league, the NZ20 might face some challenges. Scheduled for January 2027, it risks clashing with SA20 and ILT20, and with Kiwi stars playing key roles in both leagues, their availability for their own home tournament could be in jeopardy.