Rachin Ravindra dislocates his right shoulder in a Sky shoot and is doubtful for the India T20Is

New Zealand are waiting on Rachin Ravindra's shoulder after a promotional shoot left the all-rounder in doubt for next month's T20I series against India

Ravindra dislocated his right shoulder on Wednesday while filming a promotional shoot for the broadcaster Sky, landing awkwardly on a safety mat as he attempted a diving catch.

Medical specialists reviewed the 26-year-old on Friday and cleared him of major structural damage. New Zealand Cricket have not put a date on his return, saying it will be determined by how he progresses through the first few weeks of rehabilitation.

That leaves him a doubt for the five-match T20I series against India, which begins on October 22. New Zealand are due to name the squad for it next week.

A freak accident on a safety mat

The injury happened away from cricket entirely, during commercial filming rather than a training session or a match.

Black Caps performance manager Mike Sandle said Ravindra came down awkwardly on a safety mat as he went for the catch. "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," he said.

Sandle added that the shoot had been signed off in advance. "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."

Cleared of structural damage, but without a date

Friday's assessment was the good news in an otherwise awkward week. A dislocation without structural damage spares Ravindra surgery and the months of rebuilding that would follow it.

What it does not do is hand New Zealand a timeline. The board has tied his return to the early phase of his rehabilitation rather than to a fixture, which is the language of a selection decision still some way off.

The India series is the immediate question

India arrive for a tour that runs across all three formats, starting with five T20Is from October 22 and continuing through a five-match ODI series in November.

New Zealand's T20I squad is due next week, roughly a month out from the first match. Ravindra's name on that list — or its absence — will be the clearest public signal of how the rehabilitation is tracking.

It is a series New Zealand would want him for. He is one of the few players in the squad who offers top-order runs and a left-arm spin option in the same slot.

Walter puts the Test summer first

Head coach Rob Walter framed the decision around what comes after the white-ball cricket rather than the white-ball cricket itself.

"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," Walter said. "He's in great hands in terms of his rehab and we look forward to welcoming him back soon."

The Tests against India follow the limited-overs legs, at the Basin Reserve from November 19 and at Hagley Oval from November 27.

What New Zealand would be missing

Ravindra has played 115 international matches across the three formats — 24 Tests, 39 ODIs and 52 T20Is — since making his debut, and bats and bowls left-handed for Wellington at domestic level.

He announced himself at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he became the first batter to score three centuries on World Cup debut and was later named ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year.

He was part of the side that reached the final of the 2026 T20 World Cup, where New Zealand finished runners-up.

New Zealand's T20I squad, due next week, will be the first real indication of whether Ravindra's rehabilitation is running ahead of the October 22 start.

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