New Delhi, Feb. 8 -- New Zeeland's seasoned batting allrounder Jimmy Neesham, who chose to skip the recently concluded five-match T20I series against India, returned to the Kiwis squad as they faced Afghanistan in their first match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. However, his return had zero impact on the side despite them winning the encounter, thanks to the batting efforts of Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips.

Neesham, who had refused a central contract with his country's cricket board in 2022, now plays around the world as a T20 freelancer, besides playing in the Kiwis' T20I matches. Before the World Cup, he played in the ILT20 for the Dubai Capitals and continued with the Rajshahi Warriors in the Bangladesh Premier League. He chose to op...