New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has sent out a press release informing that Blackcaps leg spinner Ish Sodhi has been ruled out of the KFC T20I series against South Africa with a broken thumb.
Sodhi was hit on the thumb while bowling at team training at Bay Oval on Saturday and a subsequent scan revealed a break which will require at least four weeks rehabilitation.
With Lockie Ferguson joining the squad for the second and third matches in Hamilton and Auckland, no replacement will be brought in to the squad for the next match.
Blackcaps head coach Rob Walter was understandably disappointed for Sodhi.
“Ish is very passionate about playing for New Zealand and we know he was looking forward to turning out in front of home fans after the World Cup campaign,” he said.
“He is hugely experienced in the T20 format and so will be a big miss for the remainder of the series.
“We’re confident with Lockie coming in, as well as Mitch (Santner) and Cole (McConchie) that we have appropriate cover for the next two matches, before the squad transitions for the last two matches.”
The Blackcaps relocate to Hamilton on Monday ahead of the second KFC T20I against South Africa tomorrow at Seddon Park.
South Africa were just too good in the first match!
New Zealand gave a poor account of themselves in the first match on Sunday as they, after opting to bat first at Mount Maunganui, folded for just 91 runs in the 15th over.
Yes, several of their stars were not playing in the match having just finished their T20 World Cup campaign where they lost to India in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But then that was also true for the South African team, captained by ace spinner Keshav Maharaj, who chased down the lowly target rather comfortably with 20 balls to go and seven wickets in hand.
19-year-old Proteas medium pacer Nqobani Mokoena was chosen Man of the Match for his inspiring figures of 3/26 that set up the victory to all intents and purposes. South Africa had been knocked out of the recently concluded T20 World Cup by New Zealand in the semifinals, and they would hope to avenge themselves in the rest of the rubber too.