Sophie Molineux doubtful for Bangladesh ODI series with hip injury
Australia's captain has been left out of the Victoria WNCL squad as Cricket Australia monitors her hip joint injury ahead of the October series.
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A hip injury has placed Sophie Molineux's participation in Australia's three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in serious doubt, with Cricket Australia confirming the development on September 28, 2026. The injury has already had an immediate impact on her domestic availability, as Molineux was omitted from the Victoria squad for the first round of Women's National Cricket League fixtures, which get under way on September 29, 2026.
The national squad for the Bangladesh series is due to be named on October 1, 2026. All three ODIs are scheduled in Brisbane, on October 9, October 11 and October 14, 2026. Beyond the Bangladesh matches, Australia have a further three T20Is against New Zealand in October, bringing their total home commitments for the month to six fixtures.
"I suppose the injuries have taken up a large chunk of the last few years for me. But the lessons that you learn from going through it just makes me really grateful to be sitting here today with some pretty special memories under my belt," said Molineux as quoted by Cricinfo.
What is the extent of Molineux's injury history?
This is not the first time Molineux has had her availability disrupted since taking on the captaincy. A back problem earlier in 2026 restricted her to batting duties during the tour of the West Indies, though she recovered sufficiently to resume her full all-round role in time for the T20 World Cup, where she led Australia to the title.
Molineux wary of Bangladesh ahead of ODI series
Who could lead Australia if Molineux is ruled out?
Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner hold joint vice-captaincy roles, having both been appointed to those positions earlier in 2026. McGrath took charge of the side during the West Indies tour while Molineux was not available to play, though she did not feature in the XI at any point during the T20 World Cup. Gardner, meanwhile, retained her vice-captaincy in August 2026 after receiving the support of the Cricket Australia board following the public disclosure of her relationship with Georgia Voll.
"While my separation from my wife is a personal matter, I understand my current relationship status needed to be addressed by Cricket Australia given my position as vice-captain. Sophie has an injury to her hip joint and her involvement in the upcoming series will continue to be assessed," said Gardner in an Instagram post.
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