Sydney Sixers wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy has been ruled out of her side’s Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 11 season opener on November 9, after sustaining a painful thumb injury during Australia’s ODI World Cup semi-final defeat to India in Navi Mumbai.
Healy suffered the blow to her right thumb while attempting to take a sharp chance off Jemimah Rodrigues during Kim Garth’s over. The ball deflected off Rodrigues’ bat and slammed into the end of Healy’s thumb, leaving her visibly in pain.
Despite the discomfort, she showed trademark resilience and continued keeping for the remainder of the innings. Rodrigues went on to play a match-winning knock of 127*, steering India to a record-breaking chase of 339 and ending Australia’s hopes of another World Cup title.
Back home, Healy has been sporting a thumb splint and provided fans an update on her injury via her Willow Talk podcast. “It’s WBBL time, so it’s not unlike me to have some sort of injury,” she said. “I copped a little knock in the semi-final, which I’m sure a few people saw, but we’ll see what unfolds over the next four weeks.”
The Sixers have since confirmed that the injury is minor but have opted to rest Healy from the November 9 clash against the Perth Scorchers at W.A.C.A. She will be reassessed next week, with a possible return depending on how well she can manage batting and wicket keeping duties while wearing the protective splint.
For Healy, the setback adds to a growing list of challenges late in her distinguished career. She recently recovered from a calf strain that forced her to miss Australia’s final two World Cup group stage matches. Over the past two WBBL seasons, she has featured in only five games due to injuries. In 2023, she endured a freak accident at home while trying to separate her two Staffordshire bull terriers, suffering significant damage to her right index finger.
Her previous troubles included a foot injury suffered during the 2024 T20 World Cup in the UAE, which ruled her out of the semi-final against South Africa. She began her WBBL 10 campaign recovering from that setback, missing the opening two matches before returning to action, only to pick up a knee injury later that same season.
The Sixers made strategic moves during the off-season, signing promising Tasmanian wicketkeeper batter Emma Manix-Geeves from the Hobart Hurricanes. The 25-year-old impressed with a half century in the recently concluded T20 Spring Challenge and could hold the gloves even when Healy returns, allowing the veteran to focus on batting.
As Healy recovers, the star-studded Sixers lineup featuring Ashleigh Gardner and Ellyse Perry will aim to open their WBBL 11 campaign on a high when they face the Scorchers in Perth on November 9.
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