Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth lavished praise on New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell after he led the Black Caps to a historic ODI series victory
in India. The all-rounder captained New Zealand to their first-ever bilateral ODI series win on Indian soil, prompting Srikkanth to question why no Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise placed a bid for Bracewell ahead of the 2026 season.
With regular skipper Mitchell Santner sidelined due to injury, Bracewell was handed the leadership role for the ODI leg and impressed with both his calm captaincy and all-round contributions. He had a quiet outing in the opening ODI, scoring 16 runs and going wicketless in his eight-over spell. However, he made a significant impact in the second match, returning figures of 10-1-34-1 to help restrict the hosts.
Bracewell also played a crucial hand with the bat in the series decider, scoring an unbeaten 28 to propel New Zealand to a competitive total. While Srikkanth lauded Glenn Phillips’ attacking century and his shot selection during the 106-run knock, he highlighted Bracewell’s composure in the death overs as the defining factor. According to Srikkanth, Bracewell’s late contribution helped New Zealand push their total from around 300 to nearly 330, ultimately proving decisive in securing the series win.
"No. 5 is the position for Glenn Phillips and he equally played well in the previous game. He didn’t play in the V and stuck to playing in long-on, mid-on and mid-off. Phillips did play the short-pitched delivery to mid-wicket but hit sixes straight. The wicket was superb and the ball was coming on well, so it was pinging off the bat," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
"Michael Bracewell’s knock was crucial too and it was the reason New Zealand jumped from 300 to 330. He hit sixes effortlessly. I don’t understand how no IPL team went for him. Bracewell couldn’t bowl due to some injury but I have no idea how no IPL team went for him. I don’t understand how IPL teams select their players," he added.
Srikkanth also lauded New Zealand for posting an imposing total despite being reduced to 5/2 in just the second over of the innings. He highlighted the resilience shown by the middle order, which helped the visitors recover from the early collapse. Daryl Mitchell played a starring role in the turnaround, producing a superb 137-run knock that earned him the Player of the Match award. Mitchell’s consistency throughout the series was equally impressive, as he finished with 352 runs across three innings and was deservedly named Player of the Series.
"Hats off. New Zealand were 5/2 and then 3/58. They were only scoring at five runs per over and to make 277 from there, Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell batted briskly in their 219-run partnership. They batted at a different level. Credit where its due. What a batting from Glenn Phillips! I haven’t seen an innings like that. It was a flat wicket but Phillips’ shots were outstanding. Phillips took some time to settle on and then started playing his shots,” said Srikkanth.
