Racing
League
Rugby
Football
Cricket
Golf
Sport Nation
Motorsport
Netball
Basketball
Combat Sports
Olympics
Other Sports
Blackcaps batter ready to seize opportunity against India
Sport Nation • October 20th, 2026 9:45 am
Bevon John Jacobs | Photo: Photosport
Batter Bevon Jacobs is eager to make the most of any opportunity as the Blackcaps prepare for their highly anticipated series against India, beginning at Christchurch's Hagley Oval on Thursday night.
The Aucklander joins the national setup seeking to capitalise on his efforts against Bangladesh earlier this year, where he signed off with a swashbuckling 62 from just 31 balls to guide New Zealand to victory in Mirpur, in the process setting his top score in internationals.
Jacobs acknowledged the challenge of breaking into an experienced New Zealand side is a significant one and one he'd cherish immensely.
“It's a tough team to break into and, you know, there's so much experience and I'm really happy to be a part of it and I feel quite fortunate,” Jacobs told Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy.
How previous Blackcaps captains have influenced Tom Latham | Cricket Nation
“If I get the opportunity to go out there, just try and take it with both hands and really get the team over the line, whatever the situation is."
Recent form suggests the South African-born 24-year-old would not look out of sorts in the team's stacked batting order.
Jacobs recently featured on New Zealand's A tour of Australia, recording scores of 49, 58, 23 and eight across his final four innings.
Making a mark against a world champion Indian team provides the kind of spotlight Jacobs would love to take advantage of.
"If you perform, then it can put you in good stead in the future,” he said.
“But the most important thing to focus on is just being in that moment, because if you look too much into those external factors, it obviously just takes away from that focus in the game.”
Thursday's match is expected to draw a strong crowd, with tickets reportedly selling quickly for what will be the first of five matches.
Listen to the full interview below:
Tune into Sport Nation for live ball-by-ball commentary of the Blackcaps' T20 series against India - download the app today on Google Play and the App Store - find your frequency here.
