Kristian Clarke added to T20I squad amid fitness concerns for Bracewell, Milne

New Zealand have added Kristian Clarke to their T20I squad for the first three matches of the upcoming five-match series against India, which begins in Nagpur on Wednesday.

Clarke, a right-arm medium pacer, made a strong impression in his maiden ODI series. He finished the three-match series as the highest wicket-taker, picking seven wickets which included Virat Kohli twice.

Head coach Rob Walter said Clarke's inclusion was mainly to provide bowling cover as the team manage workloads within their fast-bowling group.

Michael Bracewell sustained a minor left-calf strain while fielding in the third and final ODI in Indore on Sunday. "Bracewell will be treated and monitored over the coming days before a decision on his further involvement in the tour is confirmed," a media release from New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said.

To add to NZ's problems, Adam Milne suffered a left hamstring injury while bowling for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 on Sunday. "He is currently being assessed to determine the management of the injury," the statement from NZC further said.

"We've got a fair bit of player movement at the moment with some guys returning from injury for this series, others joining us immediately from franchise cricket and the rest coming off the India ODI series and Super Smash," Walter said.

"We want to ensure we've got enough pace-bowling options for the first three games of this series and it's a great opportunity for Kristian to stay on with the group a little longer on his first tour of India.

"He certainly showcased his talent in the ODI series, but what was particularly impressive was his calmness and ability to perform under pressure."

New Zealand T20 squad (first three matches): Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Kristian Clarke, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Lister, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Will Young.