Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates of New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Kerr, who recently won the New Zealand Cricket Awards, encountered travel issues returning from India where she played for the Mumbai Indians in the WPL, leading to her absence in the upcoming match as confirmed by NZC. Similarly, Devine, a key player for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB-W), has been busy with WPL duties and will miss the opening game. However, both are expected to rejoin the team after the WPL final on Sunday for future matches. To fill Kerr's spot, Georgia Plimmer has been called up while a player from the New Zealand A squad will be added after their game against England A. With Suzie Bates taking over leadership in Devine's absence, coach Ben Sawyer expressed disappointment but sees it as an opportunity for other players to shine against a strong English team. Sawyer has faith in Plimmer's skills given her experience in the team with 12 ODIs and 21 T20Is, expecting her to make an impact in the opening T20I of the series. Rosemary Mair and Brooke Halliday return to New Zealand women's squad ahead of England series "It's obviously disappointing not to have Melie [Kerr] or Sophie with us for the series opener. We've known that this could be the case for some time now, so we've made plans for all scenarios and the positive is that it gives other players an opportunity to test themselves against a strong England side," New Zealand head coach Sawyer was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo. Meanwhile, on the English side, four players are also missing from the initial T20I due to WPL commitments, mirroring the situation faced by the New Zealand team. Despite these challenges, both sides are gearing up for an exciting contest to demonstrate their depth and resilience in the absence of key players. Rachin Ravindra bags Richard Hadlee Medal, Amelia Kerr sweeps NZC Award night in Christchurch

New Zealand squad for first T20I vs England Women:

Suzie Bates (capt), Eden Carson, Bernadine Bezuidenhout (wk), Izzy Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu