Blackcaps coach Gary Stead has all but confirmed fast bowler Adam Milne will play in Monday morning's vital Twenty20 World Cup clash against India.
After Lockie Ferguson was scratched on the tournament, fellow quick Milne has been drafted in as his replacement.
The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the best operators in the world in franchise T20 cricket, having turned out for Sydney Thunder, Kent, Birmingham Phoenix and Mumbai Indians already in 2021.
From 126 T20 matches played, Milne has taken 146 wickets at an average of just under 23. That average improves at international level, taking 28 wickets from 23 games at just over 21.
Milne's ability with the ball, able to bowl at speeds in excess of 150km/h, has seen him jump to the head of the selection queue to face India in Dubai.
"We will, in all likelihood, add Adam Milne into the squad as well, so we have a little bit more pace," Stead says.
"Then we have more attacking options with the ball to go to as well."
What's more, Martin Guptill has also won his fitness race, having copped a nasty blow on the foot in New Zealand's opening loss to Pakistan, with coach Stead confirming his availability.
"It went a different shade of colour for a period of time, but he trained yesterday, he's training again tonight. It's great to see.
"He's available and fit for selection."
After both teams dropped their first matches of the tournament, the Blackcaps and India will face off on Monday with the loser effectively out of contention for the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
And after the second half of Indian Premier League was played in the UAE - on the same grounds used in this World Cup - Stead concedes that his side will be up against it, come the start of play.
"They're obviously very strong. I think they were one of the pre-tournament favourites.
"Coming straight out of the IPL, they've got a number of players that are in-form. It's going to certainly be a great challenge for us, but something we look forward to, we always love playing against India. They have a really big fan base as well.
"We're certainly aware of what's ahead of us."
Join Newshub for live updates of the Blackcaps v India from 3am Monday.
