Auckland, Feb 20 (IANS) New Zealand women’s pace bowler Molly Penfold has been ruled out for the remainder of the home summer after sustaining a torn meniscus to her left knee, the NZC said on Thursday.
The injury means Penfold will be unavailable for the remainder of the HBJ Shield and the inbound Sri Lanka and Australia series.
“Penfold sustained the injury while warming up ahead of the Auckland Hearts Hallyburton Johnstone (HBJ) Shield fixture earlier this month. The 23-year-old underwent surgery last week and is expected to return to full fitness in eight to twelve weeks’ time,” the NZC statement read.
Penfold has nine wickets in 14 ODIs and seven in 10 T20Is. In the ODI series against Australia last December, she took a career-best 4- 42 in the second match at the Basin Reserve.
White Ferns coach Ben Sawyer said the news was disappointing for Penfold. “We’re all gutted for Molly. It’s a really unfortunate way for her summer to end, especially after strong contributions during the Rose Bowl series. The positive is that her recovery timelines should see her fit for our winter training schedule,” he said.
New Zealand women will play three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka next month followed by three T20Is against Australia.
New Zealand will also be without Sophie Devine for the Sri Lanka matches as she continues to prioritise her well-being. She has also withdrew from the Super Smash and the 2025 Women’s Premier League after receiving professional advice.
As captain, Devine played a key role in helping the White Ferns win last year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE in October. The all-rounder is on the cusp of a milestone, having ammassed 3990 runs in Women’s ODIs, averaging 31.66 with the bat in international 50-over cricket.
Devine, part of RCB’s title-winning campaign in 2024, was retained ahead of the 2025 auction. In the 2024 season, she scored 136 runs and took six wickets in ten matches. After her withdrawal from WPL 2025, RCB picked Heather Graham as Devine’s replacements.
–IANS
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