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As the race for Black Caps spots at next year’s Twenty20 World Cup goes down to the wire, Devon Conway will take a hit in the pocket to put himself in the best position to reach the tournament.

Despite bursting on to the scene as a key cog in all formats for New Zealand at the end of 2020, Conway’s stocks have dwindled in the shortest format amid the rapidly changing nature of T20 cricket.

In particular, with the Black Caps boasting the likes of Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra as their prospective top-order starters, to go with Tim Robinson as an able deputy, a player of Conway’s ability might not even be needed.

But that doesn’t mean his stocks in T20 cricket have diminished, by any means. Earlier this year, the 34-year-old picked up a contract worth 325,000 rand (just over $33,000) to join Durban’s Super Giants in South Africa’s SA20.

However, with SA20 payments being handed out on a pro-rata basis, Conway will lose a chunk of that fee by only playing his side’s first four matches, before linking up with the Black Caps as they prepare for the T20 World Cup with two white-ball series in India.

Conway, along with Kane Williamson, departs New Zealand for South Africa on Boxing Day, but will miss his side’s final five regular-season matches, before the Black Caps assemble for the ODI opener on January 11.

“There’s no doubt how much he wants to play for the Black Caps,” coach Rob Walter said of Conway. “He’s made that pretty clear.

“There was an opportunity presented that he could come and join us, which is awesome.

“It’s certainly worked out well for everyone that he was able to do that.”

Having Conway available in India is a huge boost for the New Zealand side after the left-hander hammered a career-best to end the test summer.

Devon Conway raises his century against the West Indies at Bay Oval. Photo / Photosport

After threatening to make a huge score all summer, with half-centuries against the West Indies in Nelson, Napier and Wellington, at Tauranga he plundered 227 and 100, giving him the third-most runs scored by a Black Cap in a single test.

And albeit coming in a different form of the game, those test runs in conjunction with Conway’s record in the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings – 1080 runs at an average of 43.20, with 11 half-centuries – should put him firmly into contention for the World Cup.

That is tied in with the top-order logjam, though. Even taking into account Williamson’s retirement in the shortest format, New Zealand’s options are still very strong.

With Allen, Seifert and Ravindra locked in, Conway and Robinson could go head-to-head for the last spot. Potentially in Conway’s favour is that he is able to keep wicket, placing him as cover for two roles for the tournament.

Meanwhile, both Allen and Seifert are unavailable for the series as they have contracts in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL).

Seifert, 31, began the season with a brutal 102 for the Melbourne Renegades against the Brisbane Heat – his fifth century in T20 cricket.

Allen, 26, has also had a solid start to the 2025-26 season, and hammered a 38-ball 79 – laden with eight sixes – for the Perth Scorchers, also against Brisbane.

And despite not initially being named to tour India, Walter is optimistic the pair can join the squad before the World Cup, provided their Big Bash seasons end early.

“Hopefully they’ll come in for the back end of those T20s, once their BBL commitments are finished,” Walter continued.

“I’m sure we’ll see them at the back end of those T20s. Would we have liked them for the whole series? Of course. But that’s not how the international world works anymore.

“I’m happy they’ve been playing well in the Big Bash. All you can ask is that guys are playing competitive cricket and doing well.

“Both of those two have started excellently well.”

The Black Caps tour of India runs from January 11 to February 1, before the T20 World Cup begins on February 7.

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.