Rachin Ravindra Injured, New Zealand Faces Australia in T20 Series

Mount Maunganui, New Zealand — Rachin Ravindra has been ruled out of the T20 series against Australia after suffering a serious face injury during training on Tuesday. The young allrounder collided with the boundary boards at Bay Oval, requiring significant stitching to address a major laceration to his upper lip and nose.

After the incident, medical staff conducted initial concussion tests, which Ravindra passed. However, the extent of his injury prompted the team’s management to prioritize his health, leading them to send him home for recovery. Head coach expressed disappointment over the incident, stating, “Rachin is obviously an important player for us, but his health and wellbeing is our top priority.”

In place of Ravindra, New Zealand has called up Tim Robinson, who previously participated in the T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe in July. The squad for this series is already without several key players, including captain Mitchell Santner due to an abdominal injury and other players like Glenn Phillips and Finn Allen who are also sidelined.

Ravindra has been in good form, scoring 69, 30, 3, 63, and 47 in his last five T20 international innings. The current situation has added to New Zealand’s injury woes, with multiple players missing.

As the first T20I match commences on October 1, Australia won the toss and will field first. Australia’s captain, Mitchell Marsh, has a history of choosing to field when winning the toss. The lineup includes returning players Matt Short and Mitch Owen, who is making his first international appearance since last November.

New Zealand’s team features four frontline quicks, while Ish Sodhi, close to becoming the team’s most capped player in T20 history, will have to wait. Both teams are gearing up for a competitive series with three matches scheduled in the span of four days.