No major structural damage reported but Ravindra’s return will be decided by his progress, says board

AUCKLAND: New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has dislocated his right shoulder while attempting a diving catch during a promotional shoot, putting his participation in next month’s T20 series against India in doubt.

New Zealand Cricket said the injury occurred in Auckland on Wednesday during a commercial shoot with Sky.

According to the board, initial medical assessments have ruled out major structural damage. However, Ravindra’s return-to-play timeline will depend on his progress during the early stages of rehabilitation.

The 26-year-old is an important member of New Zealand’s squad, having represented the country in 115 international matches across all three formats.

Ravindra is a versatile batter who can play in the top or middle order and also bowls left-arm spin.

He was New Zealand’s leading run-scorer at the 2023 50-over World Cup. He was also the team’s leading wicket-taker at this year’s T20 World Cup, where New Zealand reached the final.

New Zealand performance manager Mike Sandle expressed disappointment over the injury.

“We are gutted for Rachin,” Sandle said.

He added that the commercial shoot had been agreed in advance and appropriate safety measures were 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,” Sandle said.

New Zealand are scheduled to host India in a five-match T20 series starting October 22. The teams will then play five ODIs and two Test matches in November.

Ravindra’s availability for the India series will depend on his rehabilitation and recovery in the coming weeks.