Ankle Injury Rules Joe Denly Out Of New Zealand T20Is

England’s thumping win over New Zealand in the first T20I has been marred with an injury to their top-order batsman Joe Denly. The right-handed batsman is now set for a spell on the sidelines after damaging a ligament in his ankle during practice. The 33-year-old picked up the injury on Thursday, prior to the first of the five T20Is.

He has been ruled out of the entire series. England are yet to announce a replacement for the 33-year old who is also in the squad for the series of two Test matches. The Test series will get underway on November 21. It will be a big blow for Joe Denly if he missed the Test series against New Zealand.

He was expected to play a big part in the series. England team-management was likely to make him bat at number three in order to make sure captain Joe Root bats at number four. But the plan is now pretty much on hold and it all depends on how fast Joe Denly recovers. In case, he fails to recover, England can play uncapped Dominic Sibley. Sibley earned his maiden England call-up after a stunning season in domestic circuit. In the 2019 Championship season, he was the only player to score more than 1000 runs.

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Missing the T20I series will also be a blow for Joe Denly’s T20 World Cup hopes. With the World Cup lined up next year, a good outing in New Zealand would have enhanced his chances. In the absence of some big names like Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali and Jason Roy, Joe Denly had the chance to impress the team management.

Meanwhile, England have started the tour on a thumping note. The 50-over World Champions thrashed England by seven wickets in the first T20I. James Vince starred with the bat, scoring a fifty as England chased down 154 with ease.