Hayley Matthews suffers injury, ruled out of WCPL 2025 as Chinelle Henry will lead the Royals in her absence.
On the eve of their WCPL title defence, the Barbados Royals have taken a serious hit as their captain, Hayley Matthews, will miss the entire season due to a shoulder injury.
In Matthews’ place, the Royals will be led by all-rounder Chinelle Henry.
Matthews was a major contributor to the Royals’ 2023 and 2024 championship runs, scoring 424 runs at a strike rate of 113.06 and taking 23 wickets at an economy rate of 5.79 in the WCPL. With a 59-ball 82 and two wickets in the 2023 final against the Guyana Amazon Warriors, she was named Player of the Match. In the 2024 season, she was named Player of the Series.
The Royals used X, formerly Twitter, to publicise Matthews’ injury. A replacement has not yet been announced.
The Royals will take on the Amazon Warriors in their opening match of the WCPL 2025 on Sunday night.
During the WBBL, Matthews decided to get surgery after suffering a shoulder injury while touring England. She was selected in the pre-draft by the Melbourne Renegades, but she left before the WBBL draft. She was scheduled to have surgery following the WCPL and played in the home series against South Africa and the Hundred.
A few young West Indian players, including NaiJanni Cumberbatch, Trishan Holder, and Steffie Soogrim, spent last month at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in Chennai to prepare for the WCPL 2025.