Michael Bracewell ruled out of T20 World Cup with calf injury

New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell has been ruled out of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 after injuring his left calf once again. The off spinner is expected to recover in at least three weeks and so his further participation in the tournament became improbable.

Earlier, the Kiwi had suffered the same injury during the third ODI against India on January 18 in Indore. As a result, the left-hand batter was out of action for the T20I series which followed the ODIs.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) released a statement, revealing the details of how the injury occurred and what transpired afterwards.  

"Bracewell rehabilitated the calf tear he sustained during the 3rd ODI against India last month but reinjured the muscle during warm-ups on Sunday. Subsequent scans confirmed the injury which is expected to require approximately three weeks recovery before returning to play," NZC said in a statement.

Meanwhile, off-spin all-rounder Cole McConchie will join the squad as a travelling reserve along with Ben Sears. In other words, McConchie has not been added to the squad officially yet. The 34-year-old has played 12 T20Is in which he has picked up seven wickets and scored 100 runs. As a matter of fact, the Christchurch-born last represented the national team in the shortest format in April 2024 against Pakistan.

We are all feeling for Michael: NZ head coach Rob Walter

The head coach Rob Walter expressed regret for Bracewell and stated that it was tough for the player to miss out on a World Cup. Walter wished him a speedy recovery and added that McConchie is an ideal replacement for Bracewell due to the wealth of experience that he brings from domestic cricket.

“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 set back. We wish him a smooth recovery.

“Cole is a seasoned campaigner. He brings a great all-round skillset to the group along with a lot of T20 experience. It’s great to be able to lean on an experienced head especially for a World Cup," said Walter.

New Zealand have won their first two matches - against Afghanistan by five wickets and against the UAE by 10 wickets. They meet South Africa in their next game in Ahmedabad on February 14.