New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips has pulled out of the ongoing Zimbabwe tour after re-injuring his right groin, which he got first injured in the decider of the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season in the USA.
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Unfortunate Phillips Again Falls a Victim to an Injury
While in Zimbabwe, Phillips went through medical tests, which showed that he should not play in the T20I Tri-series, in which South Africa is the third team. During the period of many weeks of rehabilitation, the 27-year-old will miss the T20Is and with the next Test series as the situation is.
This was the time in 2025 the player has been out on the sidelines because of an injury related to the groin. He had missed the most part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this year when his team was Gujarat Titans, where he took a similar injury while being a substitute fielder.
MLC 2025′ Star Performer Cut Short
Prior to his injury, Phillips was the most outstanding player for Washington Freedom in MLC 2025:
Matches: 10
Runs: 186
Average: 62.00
Strike Rate: 139.84
He played a vital part in helping Washington Freedom reach the MLC final, a game they ended up losing to MI New York. The solidity with the bat in the middle order provided by Phillips was the main reason for the run by the Freedom team to the playoffs.
Tim Robinson’s Assignment Continues
Tim Robinson, who had been called as cover before the team’s travel, has now become a part of the Blackcaps squad that will finish the T20 Tri-Series.
Finn Allen Also Missing from Zimbabwe Tour
Phillips is not the only major mover and shaker who will be absent. Another New Zealand standout, Finn Allen, was ruled out earlier due to a foot injury that he suffered in the MLC 2025, where he played for San Francisco Unicorns. The non-appearance of Allen puts more strain on New Zealand in terms of their top-order batting.
Coach Rob Walter Reacts
New Zealand’s new head coach Rob Walter has stated that he was very disappointed to lose two of the most exciting white-ball game players in his team:
“It is quite obviously a big blow for us to lose a player of the stature of Glenn. We are feeling for Glenn just as we did for Finn and what they have missed out on in this series,” Walter said.
“We were all so hopeful of Glenn making it to the field for the Blackcaps… What is confirmed is that he will return in good shape, and I am very much looking forward to the date of his comeback,” he added.
No Replacement Named Yet
Phillips will join the players made up of members of the reserves team coming back to New Zealand, who are Mitch Hay and Jimmy Neesham, and who were all on the same flight as the squad. Although he was a part of the Test squad for the two-match series against Zimbabwe, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has yet to reveal a standby player.
What’s Next for the Blackcaps?
If the two players, Phillips and Allen, are not involved, the main points will turn into the depth of New Zealand’s roster and the performance of substitute players like Robinson, who is now being given a bigger chance to stand out on the international stage. The T20I Tri-Series that is about to begin will act as an important warm-up tournament, and it will come ahead of a jam-packed international calendar, namely the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the World Test Championship series which are both upcoming.