New Zealand will welcome back a host of stars, as they look to put the nail in the coffin of the travelling Pakistan side, after winning the opening T20 in Auckland.
The home side have the services of five test performers for games two and three, as they try to wrap up the three-match series on Sunday night in Hamilton.
Fresh from seeing his first child into the world, Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson is back, as well as Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Daryl Mitchell and Kyle Jamieson for the remainder of the T20 series.
Dropping out are Mitchell Santner - who captained the side on Friday night - Man of the Match Jacob Duffy, Doug Bracewell, Mark Chapman and Blair Tickner.
Coach Gary Stead is in a tough situation when selecting his sides, trying to balance choosing a side good enough to win, while at the same time managing players' workloads.
"It's a unique situation we are in with the selection of those teams, which has been difficult and has been a real challenge this year, to work out the crossover between tests and T20s games," Stead says.
One surprise omission is acting captain Santner. The spin bowler has been on the road since July, due to his Indian Premier League and Caribbean Premier League commitments, before going straight into quarantine once back in New Zealand.
Stead has given him a deserved rest to refresh and relax, before the test series against Pakistan starts on Boxing Day.
"The main reason for Mitch not playing is to have a little bit of a break," says Stead. "He is the only player coming back from the IPL and CPL that hasn't had any time at home, so it just gives him four or five clear days to relax and clear his head for a while."
Stead hopes to continue developing his leadership and spin options within the side, as they move towards the 2021 T20 World Cup in India.
"I thought Mitch lead the team really, really well, and when you look around and don't see some of the faces you're used to seeing, it's easy to go searching," Stead says.
"He had a real calmness around himself in the field. I thought he spoke well to the guys and was clear on his expectations.
"From my perspective, I thought Mitch did a great job, but I think it's important for us in the future, as we keep looking to develop leadership in our programme."
The returning stars will aim to continue their good form and close out the three-match series in Hamilton on Sunday night against the fourth-ranked T20 side in the world.
Join us for live updates from 7pm for game two between the Blackcaps and Pakistan.
