Fresh off International Fame, New Zealand All-Rounder Set To Follow Path of Benched Mumbai Indians Star at IPL 2026 Auction – CricXtasy

He registered the best figures by a New Zealander on Test debut.
New Zealand have a few exciting players coming through in recent times, a few of whom can also contribute with both bat and ball. Among them is Zakary Foulkes, who has had an impressive start to his Test career against Zimbabwe.
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Foulkes snared nine wickets for 75 runs across two innings and registered the best figures by a New Zealander on Test debut, going past Will O’Rourke. He took four wickets while conceding 38 runs in the first innings before dismissing five batters for 37 runs in the second innings to help New Zealand register their biggest ever win in Test cricket.
Zakary Foulkes is a lanky speedster whose natural length can be slightly shorter, and he hits the deck hard. He has a good pace, but more importantly, the speedster can move the ball at pace, which makes him a threatening weapon.
His lines mostly target the top of off, and his deliveries rush the batter, which can be deceiving because he doesn’t seem to bowl at an exaggerated pace. Still, he is quicker and gets zip off his deliveries, and his short balls often induce top edge.
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His height allows his release points to be higher, enabling him to hit the top of the blade. On fast surfaces, Foulkes will naturally become more threatening, but his attributes make him an equally potent option on slow decks.
Then, Foulkes is also a more-than-handy batter who can hit big shots and chip in with crucial runs in the lower order. He has a T20I strike rate of 143.90 and averages over 20 in List A cricket, which shows he can offer with the willow.
The youngster has already played a few timely cameos and will only improve from here on, making him a complete package. He has the makings of being one of the best New Zealanders ever had.
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Foulkes made his international debut with a T20I fixture against Pakistan in April last year. Then, he played an ODI against Sri Lanka last year but didn’t get to bowl as the rain washed away the game.
Finally, he has made his Test debut and impressed with his superior bowling skills. Overall, Foulkes has 15 wickets at an average of 24.46 in 13 outings, including a best of 3/20.
Further, he also has 59 runs at a strike rate of 143.90 in seven innings. In his only Test, he took nine wickets, as mentioned above.
Slowly, he is establishing his place on the side, and with the Kiwis genuinely looking for more pace options lately, he can be the one to groom. His skill sets are too good to ignore, and the team management has no reason not to give him a long run across formats.
Foulkes has been highly rated and can be one of the wildcard picks in the IPL 2026 auction. Like Bevon Jacobs, IPL teams won’t shy from including Zakary Foulkes, even if he has little international experience.
His unique attributes are encouraging enough to work with, and he will develop from here. Such players have a higher ceiling than most bowlers, and teams opt for such talent.
For instance, a tall bowler with high release and zip off the surface can be employed with the new ball or in the middle overs in Indian conditions, making them a good package. Then, there’s ample batting value as a bonus.
Zak foulkes,The incredible talented young player with both bat and ball 🔥🔥🔥

The delivery to Rachin shows how skill full bowler he is 🔥

He will be an asset for @BLACKCAPS in future with both bat and ball pic.twitter.com/sd3YDBD4Tg
During the last auction, the Mumbai Indians (MI) showed trust in Bevon Jacobs, who was an unknown commodity then and have been grooming him to become a permanent member. Similarly, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) roped in William O’Rourke as a replacement player despite his limited experience, based on the unique skill sets he brings, suggesting Foulkes can also fetch a bid in the auction.
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