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After injuring her left quadricep muscle, New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr will miss the final two ODIs against India. Kerr sustained the injury during Thursday’s opening match, which India won by 59 runs, and it would likely take him three weeks to fully recover. The ODI team will not replace her.
With the WBBL championship starting on Sunday, this further casts doubt on her participation for the Sydney Sixers. Even if she heals in three weeks, Amelia, a well-known pre-signing for the Sixers as a platinum-category pick, may miss eight of the team’s ten league games.
According to a notice from NZC, Amelia was sent for scans on Friday morning, which showed that she had a grade-one quadricep rupture. She would return home on Sunday to begin her recovery.
“We’re really gutted for Melie,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said. “Injuries are always a challenging time for a player and we know how disappointed she is to not be able to play these games.
“Everyone knows how much of an integral part of this team Melie is so we’ll certainly miss her but we’re wishing her a speedy recovery.”
Amelia was the best bowler for New Zealand in the first ODI as well, taking 4 for 42 before scoring an undefeated 25 off 23 in the chase. This came shortly after she was instrumental in the team’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign, where she was the tournament’s top wicket-taker with 15 scalps. The final two ODIs will take place in Ahmedabad on October 27 and 29.
A top-six position in the Women’s ODI Championship will guarantee direct qualification for the ODI World Cup in 2025, and Amelia’s absence could harm New Zealand’s chances of moving up the table. The next game for New Zealand, which is presently ranked sixth out of ten nations, is against Australia in December.