Rachin Ravindra unlikely for T20Is against India after suffering injury during shoot, New Zealand dealt body blow

Rachin Ravindra suffered an injury during a promotional shoot and is now in danger of missing the T20Is against India.

Updated on: Sep 19, 2026, 07:45:22 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand's top-order batter, is in doubt for the upcoming five-match T20I series against India after suffering a shoulder injury during a promotional shoot, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed on Saturday. The blow for the Blackcaps came just days ahead of the squad announcement for the series, which is supposed to get underway in October 2022. In an official update, the NZC said that Rachin dislocated his right shoulder while attempting to take a diving catch during a promotional shoot with Sky in Auckland earlier this week.

Rachin Ravindra suffered an injury during a promotional shoot (AFP)

The initial assessments were conducted on Friday, September 18, and they cleared the all-rounder of any major structural damage, but his return-to-play timeline will be determined by his progress during the first few weeks of his rehabilitation.

Also Read: Twin 99s and a best of 358: Meet the flamboyant India batter who once replaced Tendulkar but couldn’t go beyond 12 games

Hence, it is not known at this stage whether the left-hander would play any part in the contest against India, especially the T20Is.

The Blackcaps Performance Manager, Mike Sandle, said in an official statement that Ravindra landed awkwardly on the safety mat while attempting a catch during filming.

“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. As with all commercial shoots involving our players, the activities were agreed in advance by all parties, with appropriate safety measures in place," Sandle said.

“It was a bit of a freak accident, and we’ll continue to review our processes around events like this in the future," he added.

The priorities

On the other hand, New Zealand head coach Rob Walter added that Rachin's long-term fitness was the priority.

“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,” he added.

The New Zealand squad for India is all set to be announced next week, with Mitchell Santner expected to lead the side against the defending T20 World Cup 2026 champions.

Speaking of Rachin, he has played 52 T20Is so far, scoring 759 with his highest scoring being 69. With the ball in hand, he has scalped 26 wickets, with his best figures being 4/27. He has also represented the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL.

In the IPL 2026 edition, Rachin was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad but didn't play a single game.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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