ICC Approves Cole McConchie As Michael Bracewell's New Zealand Replacement In T20 World Cup

Cole McConchie in for New Zealand [Source: X]

Days after Michael Bracewell’s withdrawal from New Zealand's T20 World Cup 2026 squad, the Black Caps have finally announced a replacement for the all-rounder. The replacement has been approved by the Event Technical Committee, which sanctioned Bracewell’s exit and gave the green signal for the change.

Notably, Cole McConchie has been named as the replacement for Michael Bracewell. The 34-year-old has been playing in the Ford Trophy 2025-26 following a successful Super Smash stint last year. With this sudden call-up to the T20 World Cup, it marks his first appearance in a major ICC tournament.

Why Was Michael Bracewell Ruled Out Of T20 World Cup 2026?

Meanwhile, Michael Bracewell initially sustained a calf tear during the India series. He picked up the injury in the third ODI against India and underwent rehabilitation in early February 2026.

He was expected to feature in the T20 World Cup 2026 and even participated in team warm-ups. However, on February 8, he re-injured the same left calf muscle during warm-ups ahead of the opening game against Afghanistan.

Two days later, he was officially ruled out of the tournament, with recovery expected to take a few weeks. The Black Caps did not announce a replacement immediately.

However, nearly a week later, with New Zealand still in contention for a Super 8 spot from Group B, they opted to call up the all-rounder Cole McConchie.

Cole McConchie’s Rise In Domestic Circuit To The Call-Up

McConchie has been in solid form since the Super Smash. The all-rounder picked up 14 wickets from 11 matches in the Super Smash 2020-26 at an economy rate of 7.71.

With the bat, he scored 90 runs from eight appearances in the same tournament. In the Ford Trophy, playing for Canterbury, McConchie scored 125 runs from five innings at an average of 62.50. With the ball, he claimed six wickets from seven innings, underlining his strong all-round form.

Born in Christchurch, McConchie made his List A debut for Canterbury in 2011. He made his T20I debut for New Zealand against Bangladesh in Mirpur, where he famously took a wicket with his very first ball in international cricket.

The Impact McConchie Can Offer For New Zealand

Since then, he has played 12 T20Is, scoring 100 runs and taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.29. While he has not been highly impactful with the ball in T20Is, his ability to restrict runs, maintaining an economy below 8, makes him a reliable option in the modern T20 format.

Interestingly, McConchie has also developed into a finisher in New Zealand’s domestic circuit. As a like-for-like replacement for Michael Bracewell, he could serve as a dependable lower-order finisher ahead of their final group-stage clash against Canada in the T20 World Cup 2026.

McConchie Replaces Mitchell Santner in Playing XI

Interestingly, Cole McConchie was also called up for the Canada encounter, replacing skipper Mitchell Santner, who will sit out the February 17 clash due to illness, as confirmed by stand-in captain Daryl Mitchell.

Ahead of the match, McConchie expressed his excitement at joining the squad for what will be his first World Cup.

“It’s pretty surreal to be here. It doesn’t get much better than a World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. You’re always striving to wear the fern, and to get the call up is incredibly special. I’m looking forward to contributing in any way I can," said McConchie.

Nevertheless, in the match, if New Zealand defeats Canada, they will secure their qualification for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026.