New Zealand seamer Molly Penfold has been sidelined for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, missing upcoming series against Sri Lanka and Australia. The 23-year-old tore her left knee’s meniscus while playing earlier this month and has undergone surgery, with a recovery period of up to 12 weeks. Head coach Ben Sawyer expressed disappointment but noted her recovery should align with winter training. Penfold has taken nine wickets in 14 ODIs and seven in 10 T20Is, including a career-best 4 for 42 against Australia last December. Chamari Athapaththu will leave the WPL to join the tour.
At 23, Penfold suffered a torn meniscus in her left knee while playing in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield earlier this month and has undergone surgery with an expected recovery period of up to 12 weeks.
“We are all devastated for Molly,” said Ben Sawyer, the head coach of New Zealand. “It’s incredibly unfortunate for her season to conclude this way, especially after her impressive performances during the Rose Bowl series. The silver lining is that her recovery timeline should allow her to be fit for our winter training schedule.”
Penfold has claimed nine wickets in 14 ODIs and seven in 10 T20Is. In the ODI series against Australia last December, she achieved her best performance with figures of 4 for 42 in the second match at the Basin Reserve.
New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in three ODIs and three T20Is next month, followed by a series of three T20Is against Australia.
Chamari Athapaththu will leave the WPL early to join the tour, while Amelia Kerr will stay in India.