New Delhi, May 19: England’s captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has withdrawn from the upcoming T20 series against India and New Zealand ahead of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. Her full recovery before the tournament poses a significant challenge.
The England team management confirmed that Sciver-Brunt is sidelined due to a leg injury. She was also absent from the recent ODI series against New Zealand. The injury occurred at the end of April while playing for ‘The Blaze’ in domestic cricket and was initially diagnosed as a minor strain. However, recent scans revealed that her recovery will take longer than expected. This means England will have to proceed without one of their key players during this crucial preparation phase for the World Cup.
England hopes that the 33-year-old will be fit by the time the T20 World Cup kicks off on June 12. Since the Women’s Premier League in January, Sciver-Brunt has played only two matches. In her absence, off-spinner Charlie Dean will continue to captain the team, having led them during the ODI series against New Zealand, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Sciver-Brunt has struggled with fitness issues over the past year, missing much of last summer due to bowling restrictions. She has been recovering from a long-standing Achilles problem but made a return for the ODI World Cup at the end of last year.
In her T20 career, Sciver-Brunt has scored 2,960 runs in 131 innings, including 18 half-centuries, and has taken 90 wickets.
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