James Neesham makes a comeback in Kiwis T20 squad

New Zealand batting all-rounder James Neesham has made a comeback in the T20 as they announced a 13-member squad for their upcoming one-off T20 match against Sri Lanka on January 11.

The development came after the left-hand batsman smashed five sixes in an over against Sri Lanka in the first one-day international of their ongoing three-match series.

The recently-announced squad also saw the return of bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner who booked his spot in the team after giving an impressive performance in New Zealand's domestic T20 tournaments. With pacer Trent Boult and all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme being rested, right-arm fast bowler Scott Kuggeleijn has got his maiden call for the national team.

New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said that it is a great opportunity for the young players to prove their abilities.

"It's nice to have the luxury of freshening-up a few of our key guys following a long tour of the UAE and a fast transition into the home summer. That presents a great opportunity for the likes of Henry, Scott and Jimmy - who have all been performing strongly for their respective teams recently and deserve their chances should they come," ESPNcricinfo quoted Larsen, as saying.

All-rounder Corey Anderson was not considered for the selections as he is not fully fit.

Following is the full New Zealand squad for one-off T20 against Sri Lanka:

Tim Southee (capt), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor.