NEW DELHI: Injury-prone pacer Kyle Jamieson and experienced spinner Ish Sodhi have returned to the New Zealand squad for the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies, starting Wednesday in Auckland.

The 14-member squad also features uncapped all-rounder Nathan Smith, who could make his debut after previously being part of the New Zealand setup during the series against Sri Lanka last season.

Jamieson makes his comeback after missing the ODI series against England due to injury, while Sodhi returns to the T20 setup following his appearance in the series against Australia in October.

The five-match series will be pivotal for the BlackCaps, with head coach Rob Walter set to use it as a key selection platform before naming New Zealand's preliminary squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka early next year.

Pace-bowling stalwart Matt Henry, who missed the final two ODIs against England after spraining his calf muscle, will miss the West Indies T20I series to ensure he is fit for the three-match ODI series and as many Tests which follow.

Charismatic batter and former skipper Kane Williamson wasn't considered as he announced his retirement from T20 International cricket earlier in the day.

"Kyle's been back bowling this week and is tracking nicely for this series," said Walter.

"Nathan's made an impressive start to his international career in the Test and ODI formats and we back him to do the job if he gets his T20 chance in this series.

"Ish is our most capped T20I player and it's always great to be able to add his skills, energy and experience to the group," added Walter.

T20I squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (wk), Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi.

(With PTI Inputs)