Inglis is injured, Carey replaces him for the New Zealand T20 series

Inglis is injured, Carey replaces him for the New Zealand T20 series

Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has been ruled out of Australia’s three-match T20I tour of New Zealand after suffering a calf strain, with Alex Carey drafted in as his replacement. The three-match T20I series is scheduled for October 1 to October 4th at Mount Maunganui.

Josh Inglis will miss Australia’s three-match T20I series against New Zealand after suffering a calf strain. Alex Carey has been called up as his replacement. Inglis felt soreness in his right calf after a running session in Perth on Tuesday. A scan on Wednesday confirmed the injury, ruling him out of the matches on October 1, 3, and 4 in Mount Maunganui.

This is his second calf problem in the past nine months. He had suffered a similar injury during the Boxing Day Test against India in December 2024 while fielding as a substitute. That injury forced him to miss the rest of the BBL season, although he recovered in time to make his Test debut against Sri Lanka in January 2025.

Despite this latest setback, Inglis is expected to be fit for the ODI series against India starting October 19 in Perth.

More selection headaches for Australia

Australia has already been hit by several player withdrawals from the New Zealand tour:

Pat Cummins – pulled out due to a back (lumbar) stress injury.

Cameron Green – left out to play Sheffield Shield cricket as part of his Ashes preparation.

Nathan Ellis – unavailable because he and his partner are expecting their first child.

With Inglis out, selectors have been forced to rethink their plans. He was the only wicketkeeper named in the original 14-man squad. Carey, who was preparing to play Sheffield Shield cricket for South Australia from October 4, has now been drafted into the T20I squad.

Carey’s return to T20I cricket

Alex Carey’s recall has raised eyebrows. His T20 record is modest, both for Australia and in domestic cricket. He last played a T20I before August 2024 back in 2021, and his last game as a wicketkeeper in this format was in 2020.

However, Carey filled in for Inglis during the recent T20I against South Africa in Cairns when Inglis was unwell. His return to form in ODIs, particularly at No. 6 as a finisher, has boosted his case. Over the past year, he has shown the ability to close out games in the longer white-ball format, something selectors value.

Other options considered

Australia also looked at Ben McDermott and Josh Philippe, but both are mainly top-order players: Ben McDermott has played 25 T20Is in different batting positions, but usually opens. His career strike rate is under 100 in internationals. Recently, he opened for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, scoring one half-century at a strike rate of 141. He has little experience as a lower-order finisher.

Whereas Josh Philippe has played 12 T20Is, usually opening or batting in the top four. He has not played for Australia since 2023 and has struggled at the international level, striking at just 109. He recently scored a rapid first-class century for Australia A against India A, but selectors see him more as a top-order player. Because neither player fits the “finisher role” or offers Inglis’ explosiveness, Carey was chosen.

Inglis’s ongoing back issues

On top of calf concerns, Inglis has been managing back problems since early 2025. He suffered a back spasm during the Sri Lanka Test in February and still needs regular physiotherapy and rehab. Speaking about it, Inglis admitted it has been frustrating “It’s been around for a couple of years now. It doesn’t keep me out of matches, but it stops me from training as much as I’d like. I can’t always spend time on the net to work on new things. I’ve been focusing on strengthening my hips and back with the physios. The pain usually comes during batting, not keeping, but once it flares up, everything feels uncomfortable.”

Inglis’ injury has also reminded selectors of the challenge they face before the 2026 T20 World Cup. Tournament rules allow only 15 players in the squad, with no short-term replacements unless a player is ruled out completely.

That means carrying a backup wicketkeeper could mean leaving out another specialist bowler or batter. Australia faced this issue in the 2023 ODI World Cup when Travis Head was injured at the start but returned halfway through the tournament.