Mahika Gaur ruled out of New Zealand ODIs with foot fracture

Due to the illnesses of all-rounder Alice Capsey and young fast bowler Mahika Gaur, England will begin their ODI series against New Zealand with a depleted roster. After suffering a calf tear while playing domestic cricket last week, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt had already been ruled out of the three-match series, which was England's first international match in more than six months and the beginning of their preparations for the home T20 World Cup in June. Charlie Dean, the vice-captain, will lead the side in her absence with in-form batter Maia Bouchier called up as cover. The 20-year-old left-armer Gaur suffered a fracture to her left foot during a fielding session with England's coaching staff last week, prior to the full squad's meeting in Durham for the first one-day international. She will miss the entire ODI series against New Zealand, continuing a stop-start theme to her international career. She was unable to play in the 2024 home white-ball series against Pakistan because she was finishing her A-levels. She was also unable to play in the T20s against New Zealand because of a side strain, which forced her out of the Hundred after an impressive first season in 2023. She was selected for England for the first time that season, having previously played 19 T20Is for UAE. She played two T20Is against Sri Lanka in August and September of 2023 then produced a player-of-the-match performance on her ODI debut with 3 for 26, also against Sri Lanka, a few days later. Her first of her two ODI caps thus far was that. In September 2024, Gaur last played for England in a Twenty20 International against Ireland. She went to Australia as a spectator on England's grueling Ashes tour in 2025 and then played on the England A tour there a short time later. Capsey was ruled out of Sunday's first match against New Zealand because she is finishing her recovery from a recent illness. She is expected to be available for selection after the first game if she stays with the team. Charis Pavely of Warwickshire has been selected to serve as batting cover for the first ODI. She has scored two centuries and two half-centuries in the first six games of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup for Warwickshire, making her the second-highest run-scorer in the competition thus far. She is just four runs behind Jodi Grewcock, who is also part of the England ODI squad. This season, Pavely has a strike rate of 113.96 and 400 runs scored at 100.00.