New Delhi [India], December 11 (ANI): New Zealand suffered a massive blow ahead of next year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup title defence with news that star spinner Eden Carson will miss the tournament as she recovers from shoulder surgery, as per the ICC website.

Carson played a significant role in helping the White Ferns claim their inaugural T20 World Cup title in Dubai last year when she collected nine wickets at an average of 16.33, and the 24-year-old was expected to form a big part of their title defence for the 2026 edition of the tournament in England and Wales from June 12.

But a decision has been made to send Carson away for surgery immediately on the troublesome shoulder she first hurt before this year's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, and the right-armer will require a total of six months of rehabilitation, meaning she will miss the entire home summer and the upcoming 20-over showcase.

New Zealand coach Ben Sawyer said it was devastating to lose a player of Carson's quality to injury, but that it was in her long-term interests to undergo surgery immediately.

'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 massive 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 years old, 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,' Sawyer added.

The White Ferns are scheduled to host Zimbabwe for six white-ball contests in February and March (three T20Is and three ODIs) and are drawn in Group B at next year's T20 World Cup alongside England, South Africa, West Indies and two qualifiers. (ANI)