Veteran New Zealand batter Suzie Bates ruled out till March due to injury

Experienced New Zealand batter Suzie Bates will be out of action till March after sustaining a quadriceps injury last month while fielding in a Hallyburton Johnstone Shield match. Scans later revealed the magnitude of the tear, with medical advice emphasising a rehabilitation period of around three months.

Due to this injury, Bates will be forced to watch Otago's domestic home season from the sidelines and will also miss the White Ferns' home series against Zimbabwe, scheduled to commence in late February, as per the ICC website. However, the setback hasn't deterred Bates' spirit, as she is looking to regain fitness before New Zealand's tour of South Africa, where the two teams are set to play a T20I and ODI series in March.

"I'm gutted to be missing out this summer, I was really looking forward to another season with the Sparks, especially the Super Smash. I'm determined to get back on the field with the White Ferns in March, so that'll be my focus for now," said Bates.

Bates recently represented New Zealand during the Women's ODI World Cup. She played New Zealand's final game in the round-robin phase against England, where she was dismissed for 10. The 38-year-old had an underwhelming campaign with the bat, as she only managed 40 runs from five innings at an average of 8 and a strike rate of 61.53.

New Zealand finished sixth on the points table, with one win and four defeats from seven matches. They failed to progress to the knockouts, where India eventually emerged victorious and lifted the coveted title.

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Talking about Bates' illustrious career, she has played 178 ODIs, scoring 5,936 runs at an average of 38.79 and a strike rate of 79.74. Meanwhile, in 177 T20Is, she has amassed 4,716 runs at an average of 29.11 and a strike rate of 108.58. The Dunedin-born also has a handy record with the ball, picking up 82 wickets in ODIs and 60 in T20Is.