Christchurch, September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra’s participation in the upcoming five-match T20I series against India has been thrown into doubt after he suffered a dislocated right shoulder during a promotional shoot in Auckland.
Ravindra sustained the injury on Wednesday while attempting a diving catch during filming. New Zealand Cricket said the left-hander landed awkwardly on a safety mat while completing the attempt.
Medical specialists assessed the injury on Friday and found no major structural damage. However, his return to competitive cricket will depend on his response to rehabilitation over the coming weeks, leaving his availability for the India series uncertain.
“It was a really unfortunate injury. 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,” New Zealand Performance Manager Mike Sandle said.
He added that commercial activities involving players are agreed upon in advance with appropriate safety measures and described Ravindra’s injury as a “freak accident”, while saying New Zealand Cricket would continue to review its processes for such events.
The five-match T20I series is scheduled to begin on October 22, with New Zealand expected to announce its squad next week. Ravindra’s recovery will therefore be closely monitored before a decision is taken on his involvement.
Black Caps head coach Rob Walter indicated that the team would adopt a cautious approach, particularly with a demanding Test schedule awaiting the all-rounder.
“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. He’s in great hands in terms of his rehab and we look forward to welcoming him back soon,” Walter said.
Ravindra has become an important part of New Zealand’s white-ball setup. He has played 52 T20Is, scoring 759 runs at a highest score of 69, besides taking 26 wickets, with best figures of 4/27.
New Zealand’s squad for the India series is expected to be announced next week, with Mitchell Santner tipped to lead the side against the defending T20 World champions.
FOLLOW NOW
