Daijiworld Meda Network- Auckland
Auckland, Feb 20: New Zealand women's pace bowler Molly Penfold has been ruled out for the remainder of the home season after suffering a torn meniscus in her left knee, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed on Thursday.
The injury, sustained during the warm-up session ahead of an Auckland Hearts Hallyburton Johnstone (HBJ) Shield fixture earlier this month, means Penfold will miss the remaining matches of the HBJ Shield, along with the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and Australia.
The 23-year-old underwent surgery last week and is expected to be sidelined for eight to twelve weeks. "Penfold sustained the injury while warming up ahead of the Auckland Hearts 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," stated an NZC release.
Having played 14 ODIs and 10 T20Is, Penfold has taken nine and seven wickets, respectively. She was a key performer in the ODI series against Australia last December, registering a career-best 4/42 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
White Ferns head coach Ben Sawyer expressed disappointment over the young pacer’s injury. “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.
Meanwhile, New Zealand will also be without Sophie Devine for the Sri Lanka series as she continues to focus on her well-being. The star all-rounder had earlier withdrawn from the domestic Super Smash as well as the upcoming 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL) on professional medical advice.
Devine, who played a crucial role in guiding the White Ferns to victory in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup last year, is on the verge of a major milestone, having amassed 3,990 runs in Women’s ODIs at an average of 31.66.
She was part of RCB’s title-winning campaign in WPL 2024, contributing 136 runs and six wickets in ten matches. Despite being retained by RCB ahead of the 2025 WPL auction, Devine’s withdrawal saw the franchise rope in Heather Graham as her replacement.