Rachin Ravindra doubtful for India T20Is after freak injury during ad shoot
Rachin Ravindra (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 19 Sep 2026, 05:09 PM• Read time - 2 mins
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra is doubtful for the upcoming T20I series against India, having dislocated his shoulder during an ad shoot. Ravindra was attempting a diving catch during a promotional shoot in Auckland when the incident took place.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) haven’t shared an update on how long Ravindra will be out of action, which will be determined by his progress during the first weeks of his rehabilitation.
Rachin Ravindra landed awkwardly on the safety mat while attempting the catch during filming and went through initial assessments on Friday as medical specialists cleared him of any major structural damage.
New Zealand's next series is over a month away, when they will host India for an all-format tour, beginning with the T20Is on October 22. NZC has said that it’s "unclear" if Ravindra would play that series, with the squad set to be announced in the coming week.
New Zealand performance manager Mike Sandle said that they’re really disappointed with the unfortunate injury and will ensure that Ravindra recovers as soon as possible.
"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,” said Sandle.
He also revealed that all the activities involving players were agreed in advance by all the parties and all appropriate safety measures were in place.
"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,” he added.
Won't rush Ravindra back into action soon: Rob Walter
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter has said that they will not rush Ravindra back into action with a heavy schedule of Test cricket coming up.
"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.
After the five-match T20I series against India finishing on November 1, the two teams will face each other in five ODIs before playing two Tests later in November. In the lead-up to the Test series, India A will also tour New Zealand for three four-day matches from October 24 to November 10.