Michael Bracewell Re-Injures Left Calf; New Zealand Forced To Make Late Change In T20 World Cup Squad

New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell has been ruled out of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 tournament after sustaining a calf injury. The Kiwi cricketer will ot be a part of the remainder of the series after being ruled out for at least three weeks.

The NZ Blackcaps are coming off two victories in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup, gathering wins over Afghanistan and the UAE. New Zealand are running hot with two consecutive wins, but has encountered a new issue at hand.

NZ All-Rounder Michael Bracewell Ruled Out Of T20 World Cup Following Calf Injury

Michael Bracewell has re-injured his left calf while undergoing warm-ups on Sunday. He had sustained a calf tear during the India ODI series and was eventually ruled out of the T20I series against India.

"Subsequent scans confirmed the injury, which is expected to require approximately three weeks' recovery before returning to play," the NZC said in a statement.

Following the all-rounder's injury, New Zealand were forced to make a late replacement, with off-spinning all-rounder Cole McConchie. He was a travelling reserve alongside Ben Sears and now officially joined the Blackcaps squad.

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New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.

Travelling Reserves: Ben Sears, Cole McConchie

New Zealand Head Coach Rob Walter Breaks Silence On Bracewell's Injury

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter expressed sadness at Michael Bracewell's injury and said the all-rounder had worked very hard to earn the chance but was unfortunately injured.

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“We’re all feeling for Michael. It’s really tough to get ruled out of a World Cup, and I know how much playing for New Zealand means to him.

“Michael worked incredibly hard to give himself a chance, but unfortunately, has had this setback. We wish him a smooth recovery,” Rob Walter said.

The New Zealand Blackcaps will compete in their third group-stage match against the previous tournament's runner-ups, South Africa, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad.