New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has put his participation for the upcoming five-match T20I series against India in serious jeopardy after dislocating his right shoulder during a promotional ad shoot.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed that the freak accident occurred in Auckland on Wednesday (September 16) when Ravindra landed awkwardly on a safety mat while attempting a diving catch during filming with broadcaster Sky.
“Rachin Ravindra dislocated his right shoulder while attempting to take a diving catch during a promotional shoot with Sky in Auckland on Wednesday, September 16,” NZC said in a media release.
“Initial assessments by medical specialists on Friday, September 18 have cleared major structural damage, but Ravindra’s return to play timeline will be determined by his progress during the first weeks of his rehabilitation.”
The BlackCaps' multi-format home series against India is scheduled to get underway with the first T20I on October 22.
New Zealand is expected to announce its official T20I squad next week. Given the timeframe, it remains highly unlikely that Ravindra will feature in the shortest format.
“It was a really unfortunate injury,” said New Zealand Performance Manager Mike Sandle. “We’re gutted for Rachin and our key priority is making sure he recovers well and gets back on the field as soon as he can.
“As with all commercial shoots involving our players, the activities were agreed in advance by all parties, with appropriate safety measures in place.
“It was a bit of a freak accident, and we’ll continue to review our processes around events like this in the future.”
With a highly demanding calendar ahead—including critical Test series against India and Australia—head coach Rob Walter emphasized that the team will take a cautious approach with regards to Rachin Ravindra.
“With a heavy schedule of Test cricket in the next six months, we don’t want to rush Rachin back sooner than we need to,” said Walter.
“He’s in great hands in terms of his rehab and we look forward to welcoming him back soon.”
