Eden Carson to undergo surgery for partial ligament rupture in right elbow

Eden Carson, the 24-year-old New Zealand offspinner, will undergo surgery on her right elbow on Thursday and is expected to require six months of rehabilitation before returning to play.

Carson picked up a partial ligament rupture in the elbow during New Zealand's training camp in Dubai ahead of the women's ODI World Cup earlier this year and managed the injury through the tournament. She played all seven of her team's league games, and picked up two wickets at an economy rate of 5.60 in 35.4 overs of bowling.

"The recovery timeline means she will not be available for the remainder of the home summer nor New Zealand's title defence at the 2026 T20 World Cup," New Zealand Cricket said in a statement.

With the injury affecting her bowling arm, head coach Ben Sawyer said the team had opted for surgery to prioritise her long-term future.

"We're all really gutted for Eden," Sawyer said. "The team has a big six months ahead and I know how difficult it was for her to make the decision to go through with the surgery now, but I fully support it.

"It'll obviously be a huge loss for the team not having Eden available, especially for the T20 World Cup where she played a big role for us last year. At just 24, she's still got a long career ahead, so it's important we look forward and prioritise getting her back on the park and fully fit."

When New Zealand won the T20 World Cup in October 2024 in Dubai, Carson had picked up nine wickets in six bowling innings at an economy rate of 6.39.

New Zealand will host Zimbabwe in February and March 2026 for three T20Is and three ODIs across Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin.