For the Black Caps, BJ Watling will take over as batting coach in early December 2026, replacing Luke Ronchi. This was announced by New Zealand Cricket. Ronchi said yes to a job offer to be the head coach of the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League. He will no longer work for New Zealand after the Test series against India is over.
Watling, who is 41 years old, will join the Black Caps support staff on November 16, 2026, and work with Ronchi during a handover period. He will then officially take over the job when the team leaves for Australia for a four-Test series. Ronchi has been the batting coach since 2020, when he took over from Peter Fulton.
“I’m really thrilled. It’s an honour to be able to work with this group of people again, so I don’t take this chance lightly. “I’m excited to help make this team a world-class one,” Watling told The New Zealand Herald. “This team and the support staff have done amazing things together over the past few years.”
In what way does Watling help the Black Caps bat?
Watling stopped playing cricket for his country after they won the World Test Championship in 2021. During his career, he played for the Black Caps 108 times in all types of games, including 75 Tests, scoring 3,790 runs at an average of 37.52. It’s worth noting that all eight of his Test centuries came in games that New Zealand won.
His record of getting first-class grades is also very good. Over the course of 178 games, Watling scored more than 10,000 runs and hit 10 runs 18 times. He also shares the world record sixth-wicket partnership of 365 runs, which he set with Kane Williamson in 2015 against Sri Lanka.
After he retired, Watling became a domestic coach. Before joining Northern Districts, he played for Wellington. In 2025, he led them to the Plunket Shield, and the next year, he led them to Super Smash glory. Those two domestic awards made his case for a national role stronger before this assignment.
What does New Zealand’s Test captain think about the change?
The appointment was backed by Tom Latham, who is the captain of the New Zealand Test team. Latham pointed out that only one of the Black Caps’ preferred Test top six players is younger than 30. This shows why Watling’s extensive experience at the highest level is a good fit for this group.
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People like BJ showed what it means to be a Black Cap, so having someone like him back in the group will be great for the vibe. Latham said, “There was never any doubt about how hard he worked and how determined he was every time he stepped on the pitch. I’m sure that same attitude will show in the way he coaches.”
Kavya Sharma specializes in cricket news, tournament previews, player analysis, and post-match reviews. She combines statistics with tactical observations to provide informative and easy-to-read articles.
