Rachin Ravindra doubtful for India T20Is after dislocating shoulder in Auckland shoot

New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra dislocated his right shoulder in Auckland on Wednesday, September 16 during a promotional shoot, putting his availability for the five-match T20I series against India in doubt ahead of the tour opener on October 22 in Christchurch.

India will begin a 12-match tour of New Zealand next month that opens with a five-match T20I series starting on October 22 in Christchurch, followed by five ODIs in November and two Tests later that same month; New Zealand are preparing for the opening phase and expect to announce their T20I squad next week.

The injury occurred while Ravindra was participating in a commercial shoot with Sky in Auckland; he attempted to take a diving catch, landed awkwardly on a safety mat and dislocated his right shoulder.

Ravindra underwent further assessment by medical specialists on Friday, September 18, and the initial review found no major structural damage to the shoulder, although there is no confirmation of his return to international cricket and it remains unclear whether he will be fit enough for the T20I series.

New Zealand Performance Manager Mike Sandle commented on the incident: “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,” Sandle said.

Sandle added: “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 and taking 26 wickets.

With the New Zealand T20I squad due to be announced next week, Ravindra’s fitness will be closely monitored ahead of the first T20I between India and New Zealand on October 22 in Christchurch.