New Zealand's Will O'Rourke, 2025. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Black Caps will be without three players for the start of their home summer, while a fourth is in doubt.
Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips and Finn Allen will miss the Chappell-Hadlee T20 series against Australia with injuries, while White Ball captain Mitchell Santner is questionable.
Pace-bowler O'Rourke is set to be out of action for at least three months after scans revealed a stress fracture in his lower back.
The 24-year-old sustained the injury while bowling in the first Test against Zimbabwe earlier this month and subsequently returned home to undergo further assessment.
It means O'Rourke won't be available for the opening white-ball tours of the home summer against Australia and England in October and the West Indies in November.
Phillips requires further rehabilitation on the groin injury that ruled him out of the Zimbabwe tour and will be reassessed in a month's time to ascertain his potential return to play, while Allen is set for three months on the sideline after undergoing surgery on his right foot.
Black Caps spinner Mitchell Santner. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Santner, who returned home from The Hundred over the weekend following groin pain, is set to have abdominal surgery with an expected recovery time of approximately one month making him touch and go for the Australian series.
Black Caps coach Rob Walter said O'Rourke will undergo a three-month strength and conditioning block before being reassessed to ascertain a return to bowling and to play.
"He's had such an impressive start to his career and so naturally it is disappointing when an injury like this comes along, but he's a resilient guy and determined to put the work in and come back stronger."
Walter said they would give Santner every opportunity to play in the Australian series.
"We expect to name him in our squad when we announce it in a couple of weeks' time, and from there we can assess how his rest and rehabilitation progresses following surgery, before making a call on the eve of the series."
Meanwhile, Wellington pace-bowler Ben Sears has recovered from the side-strain that saw him miss the tour of Zimbabwe and is expected to be available for the start of the home summer.
Black Caps white ball schedule Oct-Nov
1 Oct: T20I NZ v Australia, Bay Oval
3 Oct: T20I NZ v Australia, Bay Oval
4 Oct: T20I NZ v Australia, Bay Oval
18 Oct: T20I NZ v England, Hagley Oval
20 Oct: T20I NZ v England, Hagley Oval
23 Oct: T20I NZ v England, Eden Park
26 Oct: ODI NZ v England, Bay Oval
29 Oct: ODI NZ v England, Seddon Park
1 Nov: ODI NZ v England, Sky Stadium
5 Nov: T20I NZ v West Indies, Eden Park
6 Nov: T20I NZ v West Indies, Eden Park
9 Nov: T20I NZ v West Indies, Saxton Oval
10 Nov: T20I NZ v West Indies, Saxton Oval
13 Nov: T20I NZ v West Indies, University of Otago Oval
16 Nov: ODI NZ v West Indies, Hagley Oval
19 Nov: ODI NZ v West Indies, McLean Park
22 Nov: ODI NZ v West Indies, Seddon Park
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