New Zealand have been one of the sides to beat at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup so far and recently pulled off a ten wicket win over the UAE in their second group stage fixture. Everything seemed to be on track for the Black Caps in the World Cup until Michael Bracewell’s injury. The star all-rounder has been ruled out for the remainder of the competition after re-injuring his calf.
This comes in as a huge blow for New Zealand who are ranked at the top of Group D after two wins in two games. Bracewell is considered to be one of the most crucial players for New Zealand in white ball cricket. His aggressive batting style combined with his economical bowling makes him an important asset for the Black Caps.
With Bracewell being injured, New Zealand have named off-spinning all-rounder Cole McConchie as a travelling reserve and fast bowler Ben Sears as his replacement. The all-rounder’s injury might come back to haunt New Zealand in the later stages of the World Cup because of the skillset he brought into the team.
Michael Bracewell ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026
The southpaw has been struggling with a series of injuries over the last few years. He missed the 2023 ODI World Cup in India because of fitness issues and was recently injured during the ODI series against India. After missing the ODI and T20I series, Bracewell was expected to be back into the set up, but he has reinjured himself during a warmup session on Sunday, according to NZC’s press release.
The release also informed that Bracewell needs rest for at least the next three weeks which rules him out of the World Cup. "Subsequent scans confirmed the injury, which is expected to require approximately three weeks of recovery before returning to play." he press release added.
