New Zealand Spinner Eden Carson Set for Elbow Surgery, Faces Six Months Out

New Zealand offspinner Eden Carson will undergo surgery on her right elbow on Thursday after sustaining a partial ligament rupture, ruling her out for at least six months and sidelining her for the remainder of the home season as well as the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Carson, 24, suffered the injury during New Zealand’s pre-World Cup training camp in Dubai earlier this year but continued to play through the discomfort during the ODI World Cup. She featured in all seven of New Zealand’s league matches, taking two wickets across 35.4 overs at an economy rate of 5.60.

In a statement, New Zealand Cricket confirmed the lengthy rehabilitation period, noting that the recovery timeline would prevent her from participating in both the rest of the domestic summer and New Zealand’s T20 World Cup title defence next year.

With the injury affecting her bowling arm, head coach Ben Sawyer said the decision to opt for surgery was made with Carson’s long-term future in mind.

“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 prioritise getting her back fully fit.”

Carson was instrumental in New Zealand’s historic T20 World Cup triumph in Dubai in October 2024, claiming nine wickets in six innings at an economy rate of 6.39.

New Zealand’s women’s side will return to action in February–March 2026 when they host Zimbabwe for three T20Is and three ODIs across Hamilton, Wellington, and Dunedin.