Josh Inglis Injury Deals Blow to Australia Ahead of NZ T20I Series

Australia’s preparations for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand have suffered a setback with wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis ruled out due to a right calf strain. Inglis experienced discomfort after a running session in Perth, and scans confirmed the injury, sidelining him from all three matches at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, from October 1 to 4.

In his absence, the selectors have called up Alex Carey as a replacement. Carey, who was set to play for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield opener against Western Australia on October 4, will now join the national squad and take on wicketkeeping duties.

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"It's an ongoing thing. It's sort of been around for a couple years now. For me, it's been really frustrating. It's not been something that's really kept me out of the game,” Inglis was quoted as saying to ESPNcricinfo.

“It's just something I've got to manage. So at the minute, I'm not really able to bat as much as I'd like, so I'm not able to spend the time in the nets to be able to work on new things,” Inglis added.

Australia dealing with injury concerns

Australia are already dealing with the absence of several key players ahead of the series. Test captain Pat Cummins is sidelined with a lumbar bone stress issue, all-rounder Cameron Green has been rested to focus on Sheffield Shield cricket before the Ashes, and pacer Nathan Ellis has withdrawn due to personal reasons.

With Inglis now added to the unavailable list, the pressure intensifies on captain Mitchell Marsh and senior players like Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, and Marcus Stoinis as Australia aim to fine-tune their combinations in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Australia T20I squad vs New Zealand

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

New Zealand vs Australia T20I series schedule

1st T20I: Wednesday, 1 October 2025, 11:45 AM IST – Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

2nd T20I: Friday, 3 October 2025, 11:45 AM IST – Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

3rd T20I: Saturday, 4 October 2025, 11:45 AM IST – Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui