Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes ruled out of New Zealand's T20I series against India

New Zealand will open their home summer against India without Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes, with Josh Clarkson and Blair Tickner called into the T20I squad

New Zealand Cricket confirmed on Friday that Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes have been ruled out of the five-match T20I series against India, which begins at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on 22 October. Chapman is carrying a left hamstring tear, Foulkes a right hip flexor complaint.

Allrounder Josh Clarkson and fast bowler Blair Tickner have been called in, keeping the squad at 16. Neither was part of the group named in September.

The two withdrawals leave head coach Rob Walter short of three players he had counted on, with Rachin Ravindra already sidelined by a dislocated shoulder.

A hamstring tear carried home from Europe

Chapman tore his left hamstring while playing in the European T20 league last month, and the injury has not settled in time for the opening leg of the tour.

New Zealand Cricket said he remains on track to be available for the ODI series that follows the T20Is, so the absence is expected to be confined to the five matches.

The 32-year-old left-hander has played 113 T20Is, and his absence takes one of the more experienced batters out of a middle order that will now lean more heavily on Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips.

Chapman moved to a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket last month, a change that leaves him free to take up overseas T20 engagements.

No timeline for Foulkes

Foulkes hurt his right hip flexor at a Canterbury training session. New Zealand Cricket has not put a date on his return and said it would continue to monitor his progress.

He was one of seven fast bowlers in the squad named in September, a depth of pace that had been assembled deliberately.

That stock was already a man down before this week. Ben Sears was not considered for the original selection because he is still rehabilitating an ankle injury.

Clarkson and Tickner called in

"I'm gutted for Mark and Zak and I wish them both a smooth recovery," Walter said of the two withdrawals.

On the replacements, the coach said the side was fortunate to be able to lean on the expertise of Clarkson and Tickner.

The pairing preserves the shape of the squad rather than changing it. Clarkson offers the seam-bowling allround option Foulkes provided, and Tickner joins a pace group of Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith and Adam Milne.

Milne's own place is a return in itself. The 34-year-old missed the T20 World Cup through injury and last appeared for New Zealand against Zimbabwe more than a year ago.

Ravindra missing before a ball is bowled

Ravindra dislocated his right shoulder during a promotional shoot and was ruled out of the T20Is before the squad had assembled.

His rehabilitation was put at roughly six weeks, with the ODI series the target for his return. Walter said at the time that the batter should not rush the process.

With Chapman out alongside him, Mitchell Santner's side will go into the series with Tim Seifert and Finn Allen opening together for the first time since the World Cup, and with Michael Bracewell back from an injury of his own.

A long summer to manage

India's visit runs to 12 matches across three formats — five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests — with the first ODI at Eden Park in Auckland on 4 November.

Walter has pointed to 16 white-ball matches and eight Tests between October and February as the reason for carrying so much pace, a workload these injuries will test further.

The series also brings the sides together for the first time since New Zealand finished runner-up to India at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, and interest at home has matched it: more than 76,000 tickets had been sold a month out from the opening match.

The first T20I is at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on 22 October, with the series closing in Hamilton on 1 November.

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