Zakary Foulkes is one of the most exciting young all-rounders to emerge from New Zealand's cricketing system. Coming from a cricketing family, Foulkes’ connection to the sport developed naturally from a young age. His talent was evident early on as he progressed through Canterbury’s youth pathways, delivering consistent performances across age-group levels.

Foulkes first made a major impression during his school days, notably helping St Andrew’s College secure their maiden Gillette Cup title in 2019 with a brilliant all-round display that included a century and a couple of crucial wickets. He continued to shine at the youth level, becoming the joint highest wicket-taker for Canterbury during the 2020-21 National Under-19 Tournament, while also contributing valuable runs with the bat.

His transition into senior domestic cricket came during the 2021/22 season when he made his debut for Canterbury. In the 2022–23 Super Smash season, Foulkes truly announced himself, finishing as Canterbury’s leading wicket-taker with 12 wickets in seven matches at an impressive economy rate. His consistent performances across formats earned him the Men's Bowler of the Year award for Canterbury in consecutive seasons.

Foulkes' rapid rise was rewarded when he made his T20 International debut for New Zealand against Pakistan in April 2024. That same year, he broadened his experience by signing with the Birmingham Bears for the Vitality Blast in England. Later in 2024, he toured Sri Lanka and was handed his ODI cap, further underlining his growing reputation. Recognizing the promise he had shown in the early stages of his T20I career, Durham signed him for the 2025 T20 Blast season.

The pinnacle of Foulkes’ burgeoning career arrived in August 2025 during New Zealand’s Test tour of Zimbabwe. In August 2025, at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, he made a historic Test debut, claiming sensational match figures of 9 for 75. This haul, which featured a maiden five-wicket haul (5/37) in the second innings, set a new world record for the best bowling figures by a New Zealand player on Test debut, surpassing the previous record held by Will O'Rourke.

By the end of 2025, his international trajectory was further validated during the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi. On December 16, 2025, the Chennai Super Kings secured Foulkes for his base price of ₹75 lakh to bolster their pace stocks.