Ish Sodhi has etched his name into the record books by becoming New Zealand’s most-capped T20I cricketer. The 32-year-old leg-spinner achieved the milestone during the second T20I against Australia at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on Friday, October 3 — his 127th appearance in the shortest format for the Black Caps.
Born in Ludhiana, India, Sodhi surpassed legendary pacer Tim Southee, who featured in 126 T20Is between 2008 and 2024. Over the course of his career, Sodhi has been a consistent wicket-taker for New Zealand, picking up 150 wickets so far, while Southee ended his T20I journey with 164. After sitting out the series opener on October 1, Sodhi returned to the playing XI for this must-win game.
Most T20I Appearances for New Zealand
| Player | Matches |
| Ish Sodhi | 127* |
| Tim Southee | 126 |
| Martin Guptill | 122 |
| Mitchell Santner | 114 |
| Ross Taylor | 102 |
| Kane Williamson | 93 |
| Jimmy Neesham | 85* |
| Glenn Phillips | 83 |
| Daryl Mitchell | 81 |
| Mark Chapman | 73 |
Where Sodhi Stands Among Global Greats
On the global stage, Rohit Sharma still leads the pack with 159 T20I appearances for India between 2007 and 2024, scoring 4,231 runs. Sodhi’s achievement puts him among the most experienced T20I players in the world — a testament to his longevity and impact in the format.
| Player | Team | Matches |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 159 |
| Paul Stirling | Ireland | 153 |
| George Dockrell | Ireland | 146 |
| Jos Buttler | England | 141 |
| Mahmudullah | Bangladesh | 141 |
| Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | 140 |
| Adil Rashid | England | 131 |
| David Miller | South Africa | 130 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 129 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 128 |
| Ish Sodhi | New Zealand | 127* |
| Tim Southee | New Zealand | 126 |
A Must-Win Clash for the Black Caps
The second T20I is a crucial one for New Zealand — defeat would mean Australia seals the series. The hosts lost the opener by six wickets despite a heroic unbeaten 106 from Tim Robinson, as Mitchell Marsh’s 85 helped Australia chase down 182 with ease in just 16.3 overs.
For the second match, New Zealand made three key changes: Ish Sodhi, Jimmy Neesham, and Ben Sears returned to the side in a bid to keep the series alive.
Playing XIs:
- New Zealand: Tim Seifert (WK), Devon Conway, Tim Robinson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell (C), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy
- Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (C), Matthew Short, Tim David, Alex Carey (WK), Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
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