New Zealand Suffer Major Blow as Lockie Ferguson Ruled Out of Remaining T20Is
New Zealand’s 0-3 deficit against India in the T20 series has been compounded by Lockie Ferguson’s injury. With Matt Henry also sidelined, the Black Caps face growing concerns over their fast bowling options ahead of the ODI series.
Ferguson experienced pain in his right calf during the second T20 match. Scans have confirmed a minor muscle strain, with his recovery expected to take around a week or longer. The fast bowler is now targeting a return to fitness ahead of the upcoming ODI series.
Following Ferguson’s injury, fast bowler Matt Fisher has been included in the New Zealand squad for the remaining two T20 matches. India and New Zealand will face each other in the fourth T20 match on Friday, October 30, at Eden Park in Auckland.
Meanwhile, New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry also sustained an injury during the second T20 match. He suffered an injury to the muscle in his right thigh, which is expected to require one to two weeks to recover.
However, Henry was already scheduled to miss the remaining T20 matches due to previously planned workload management. The team is hopeful that he will be available for the ODI series.
Head coach Rob Walter expressed disappointment over the injuries to both players. He said Ferguson had been particularly excited about playing in front of the home crowd at Eden Park, but his focus is now on making a comeback for the ODI series.
In another development, fast bowler Kyle Jamieson will remain in Wellington as part of his workload management plan. He could play for Canterbury in the Ford Trophy on Saturday, October 31, before joining the New Zealand national team on Monday, November 2.
With the ODI series approaching, New Zealand will closely monitor the fitness of its key fast bowlers as the team deals with multiple injury concerns following its disappointing T20 series against India.
New Zealand Full Squad: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Zakary Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner.

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