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Veteran New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series against South Africa with a broken thumb injury, confirmed by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Monday.
The veteran leg-spinner was hit on the thumb during a net session at Bay Oval on Saturday. The scans revealed a broken thumb, which will require at least four weeks of rehabilitation. New Zealand head coach Rob Walter was understandably disappointed for Sodhi. With Lockie Ferguson joining the squad for the second and third matches in Hamilton and Auckland, no replacement will be brought in to the squad for the next match. The second T20I between New Zealand and South Africa will be held at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday. The Proteas are having 1-0 lead in the ongoing five-match series. "Ish is very passionate about playing for New Zealand, and we know he was looking forward to turning out in front of home fans after the World Cup campaign," he said. "He is hugely experienced in the T20 format and so will be a big miss for the remainder of the series. We're confident with Lockie coming in, as well as Mitch (Santner) and Cole (McConchie), that we have appropriate cover for the next two matches, before the squad transitions for the last two matches," the Black Caps added. In the first T20I, New Zealand were bundled out for just 91 runs in 14.3 overs after a brilliant display of bowling by the visitors. Veteran all-rounder James Neesham top-scoring with 26 off 21 balls, with two fours and one six. Apart from Neesham, captain Mitchell Santner (15 off 19 balls, with two fours), Cole McConchie (15 off 11 balls, with one four) and Bevon Jacobs (10 off seven deliveries, with one six) couldn't convert their start. It was a commanding display by South Africa, with the 19-year-old Nqobani Mokoena bagging a three-wicket haul (3/26) on his debut. Apart from the debutant, Gerald Coetzee (2/14), Ottneil Baartman (2/22), and captain Keshav Maharaj (2/25) scalped two wickets apiece. Chasing 92 runs, wicketkeeper-batter Connor Esterhuizen played a match-winning, unbeaten knock of 45 off 48 balls, with two fours and as many sixes as the Proteas chase down the target in 16.4 overs. South Africa registered a clinical seven-wicket win with four more games to go. (ANI)
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