Rachin Ravindra dislocates shoulder in Auckland promo shoot, T20I series with India uncertain

Rachin Ravindra dislocated his right shoulder during a promotional shoot in Auckland on Wednesday, putting his place in New Zealand's upcoming five-match T20I series against India in doubt. Medical assessment on Friday found no major structural damage, but his return-to-play timeline will depend on progress in the early stages of rehabilitation.

The injury occurred while Ravindra was attempting a diving catch during filming and he landed awkwardly on a safety mat. Specialists reviewed the shoulder on Friday and clinicians ruled out significant structural harm, leaving uncertainty over his availability for the India series. India's tour of New Zealand is scheduled to begin next month.

New Zealand Performance Manager Mike Sandle described the incident as unfortunate and said recovery was the priority. "It was a really unfortunate injury," Sandle said. "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."

Ravindra has featured in 52 T20Is, scoring 759 runs with a highest score of 69 and taking 26 wickets with best figures of 4/27. The 26-year-old has become a regular all-round option, and his absence would remove one of New Zealand's key options for the India series while his rehabilitation proceeds.

Head coach Rob Walter stressed a cautious approach given workload considerations over the coming months. "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.

New Zealand are scheduled to start the home T20I series against India with the first match on October 22, with four further T20Is to follow before the teams move into the ODI and Test legs of the tour. The hosts are due to name their squad next week.

Ravindra's immediate outlook will be clarified during the initial phase of rehabilitation and by New Zealand's squad announcement next week ahead of the first T20I on October 22.