Follow UsNew Zealand have been dealt a serious blow heading into their first game of the Champions Trophy against Pakistan, with opener Rachin Ravindra not making it to the Blackcaps’ starting XI.
Ravindra, 25, possesses a stellar record in ODIs - 970 runs @ 40.41 and SR 109.97 - and was New Zealand’s best batter in the 2023 ODI World Cup, but it will be Will Young who will open alongside Devon Conway in the first game of the Champions Trophy.
Ravindra misses out due to a nasty injury he suffered in the first ODI of the tri-series while fielding. Trying to take the catch of Khushdil Shah, Ravindra lost the ball in the lights, and it ended up hitting him flush in the face.
Horror unfolded immediately as Ravindra started bleeding profusely due to a deep cut on his forehead. He was rushed off the field immediately. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed later that the opener had suffered a ‘laceration on his forehead’.
Ravindra is back training, as confirmed by Tom Latham in the press conference yesterday, but due to the injury being a blow to the head, New Zealand are treading with caution when it comes to the 25-year-old.
“His recovery is obviously going well, but just need to make sure,” Latham said yesterday.
“It's obviously a pretty nasty injury. So, especially when you're involved with the head, you want to make sure things are right. So, yeah, just going through the protocols that he needs to go through, and we'll wait and see.”
New Zealand don’t play next until Feb 24, against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, and Ravindra will likely be fit for that clash, given it would have been 16 days since he sustained the blow to the head.