Record-breaker Colin Munro will be available for Worcestershire Rapids opening home NatWest T20 Blast match with Leicestershire Foxes and the remainder of the 2015 campaign – including finals day if the county qualify for the first time.
Munro will join up with the Rapids – after being on Indian Premier League finals day duty for Mumbai Indians on Sunday – in time for the Foxes clash on Friday week (May 29).
The 28-year-old played in all of Worcestershire's group matches during 2014 and was their second highest scorer behind skipper Daryl Mitchell.
He was able to play in the quarter-final against Surrey at the Kia Oval after obtaining his release from the New Zealand 'A' squad who were touring England and Scotland.
But the 28-year-old would then have travelled home and missed finals day had Worcestershire been part of it because of the impending birth of his first child.
Munro hit a world record 23 sixes for a first class innings for Auckland against Central Districts in March.
Worcestershire chief executive David Leatherdale said: "Colin is not available for the opening game on Friday (away to Birmingham Bears) but will then join up with the squad in time for the first home match.
"If we progress to quarter-finals or finals day, then he is available to participate in those games as well.
"He is bringing his wife and baby and he will be contracted, should we get through to the latter stages, so that he is available for the whole tournament.
"He did very well last year. Like Bumpy (Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes) has said, it is quite difficult when you are playing just once a week.
"He is the sort of person who doesn't get fazed by not playing every day but fitted exactly into the dressing room. He is that sort of player."
