Henry Nicholls will replace New Zealand great Kane Williamson in the second Test against England, stepping in at No.3 at the Oval.
Black Caps captain Tom Latham confirmed the change following Williamson's sudden retirement from international cricket on Friday, shortly after New Zealand lost the series opener at Lord's.
Nicholls, 34, made the last of his 58 Test appearances against Zimbabwe 11 months ago and has been chosen ahead of Will Young, who has rejoined the squad as cover.
Latham said: "It's a really exciting opportunity for him to come back into the side in a role, at three, that he's been doing for Canterbury at home.
"I think the good thing with Henry is he's always been able to adapt to situations. He's pretty much batted from the top to the middle throughout his international career, and he'll do whatever's required for the team."
