Star New Zealand batter injured during ad shoot, doubtful for India series

New Zealand star Rachin Ravindra suffered an injury during a recent ad shoot. (AP Photo)

New Zealand batting star Rachin Ravindra was involved in a bizarre incident this week, putting him in doubt for the multi-format series against India later next month.

New Zealand Cricket on Saturday confirmed that the 26-year-old Ravindra suffered a shoulder injury during a promotional ad shoot.

“Rachin Ravindra dislocated his right shoulder while attempting to take a diving catch during a promotional shoot with Sky in Auckland on Wednesday, September 16,” a New Zealand Cricket media release read.

“Initial assessments by medical specialists on Friday, September 18 have cleared major structural damage, but Ravindra’s return to play timeline will be determined by his progress during the first weeks of his rehabilitation.”

The Kiwis are set to pick the squad for the India series next week.

“It was a really unfortunate injury,” said New Zealand Performance Manager Mike Sandle. “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.

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

New Zealand are set to welcome India as part of the largest men’s bilateral cricket series ever held in the country. As preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup simmers, the Shubman Gill-led Indian side will feature in five ODIs on the tour between November 4 and 15 across four venues. The 40-day tour will kick-start on October 22 shortly after India’s home series against the West Indies with five T20Is. The all-format series will conclude with two Test matches that will be make an integral part of ICC World Test Championship final qualification for both teams.

The tour will also mark the first time since 2019 that India will play Test cricket in New Zealand, while it will be their first white-ball assignment in the country since 2022.