Auckland, Sep 19 (PTI) New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra is a doubtful starter for the T20I series against India after dislocating his shoulder while attempting a diving catch during a promotional shoot earlier this week.
While medical assessments conducted on Friday found no major structural damage, Ravindra and #39;s return to competitive cricket will depend on how he responds during the initial stages of his rehabilitation.
New Zealand will host India in a multi-format series beginning with five T20Is from October 22 to November 1.
New Zealand Cricket said it was still and ldquo;unclear and rdquo; whether Ravindra would be available for the series.
and quot;It was a really unfortunate injury, and rdquo; Black Caps performance manager Mike Sandle was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.com.
and ldquo;We and #39;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.
and quot;It was a bit of a freak accident, and we and rsquo;ll continue to review our processes around events like this in the future, and quot; he added.
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter also said the team would not rush Ravindra back given its demanding schedule.
and quot;With a heavy schedule of Test cricket in the next six months, we don and rsquo;t want to rush Rachin back sooner than we need to, and rdquo; Walter said.
and quot;He and #39;s in great hands in terms of his rehab and we look forward to welcoming him back soon. and quot;
Post the T20Is, the teams will then play five ODIs followed by two Tests, all in November.