Connolly was hit on the second ball of the 17th over when he tried to bowl and was hit on the glove. He faced one more delivery before realizing he was in trouble. After a quick assessment by the physiotherapist, he left the field and soon underwent scans that revealed the full extent of the injury.
After the match, a CA spokesperson confirmed a fracture to the fourth metacarpal of Connolly’s left hand and that he will see a specialist in Perth on Monday. A replacement for the T20I series will be named in the coming days.
The Perth Scorchers setup will also closely follow Connolly’s recovery timeline with the BBL starting in just over a month on December 15. Ahead of the BBL, Western Australia has two more Sheffield Shield games in which Connolly would have been available. before the injury.
The injury is a blow to the Australian selectors’ hopes of adding to Connolly’s experience ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. He is highly valued, particularly his finishing skills with the bat, which he has shown for the Scorchers. , and his left-arm spin, a skill not in abundance in Australian cricket.
Connolly made his debut on the UK tour in September, where he played two T20Is, one each against Scotland and England, but did not bat and sent five wicketless overs in the two outings.
