New Zealand star's India series participation in doubt after freak injury

New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra (AP photo)

Rachin Ravindra's availability for New Zealand's upcoming five-match T20I series against India has been thrown into doubt after he dislocated his right shoulder during a promotional shoot in Auckland.The all-rounder suffered the injury on Wednesday (September 16) while attempting a diving catch during filming with Sky. Ravindra landed awkwardly on a safety mat, according to New Zealand Performance Manager Mike Sandle.

An initial examination by medical specialists on Friday (September 18) found no major structural damage. However, the 25-year-old's recovery period will depend on how he responds during the early phase of his rehabilitation.The T20I series against India is scheduled to begin on October 22, leaving Ravindra with just over a month to recover. His availability for the series, however, remains uncertain."It was a really unfortunate injury," Sandle said. "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.

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 also keen to avoid taking unnecessary risks with Ravindra given the packed Test calendar that awaits the team over the next six months.Head coach Rob Walter said the focus would be on ensuring the player makes a full recovery rather than pushing him back prematurely."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.New Zealand are due to name their T20I squad for the India series early next week, with Ravindra's rehabilitation progress likely to be a key factor in determining his availability.