New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has provided an update on star batter Rachin Ravindra, confirming that he has yet to fully recover from an injury sustained during the opening match against Pakistan in the ongoing Tri-Nation series.
Ravindra suffered a blow to the forehead while attempting a catch in the 38th over and experienced headaches for several days. He was forced to leave the field after the incident and missed New Zealand’s next match— a crucial win over South Africa that secured their spot in Friday’s final in Karachi.
Although Ravindra returned to the nets on Thursday night, he is still not fit for selection. Stead reassured that he is making good progress while following head injury assessment protocols.
“The good news is that he’s improving well. We’re sticking to the head injury protocols,” Stead said. “He had headaches for a few days, but they’re starting to subside, which is promising. He hit a few balls tonight for the first time, which is encouraging, but there are still a few more steps before he can be cleared to play.”
Stead also gave an update on veteran pacer Lockie Ferguson, who picked up a hamstring injury during the ILT20.
New Zealand Provide Major Update on Rachin Ravindra’s Severe Injury.
“Lockie has had a couple of bowling sessions since arriving here. He increased the intensity a bit more tonight,” Stead said. “We’re happy with his progress and are aiming to get him into one of the next two games. If any player has minor niggles, we’ll take a cautious approach, especially with the Champions Trophy coming up.”
New Zealand sealed their place in the Tri-Nation series final with back-to-back wins over Pakistan and South Africa. Meanwhile, Pakistan bounced back strongly, successfully chasing 352 against South Africa, thanks to centuries from captain Mohammad Rizwan and vice-captain Salman Ali Agha.
After the Tri-Nation series, New Zealand will play a warm-up match against Afghanistan in Karachi on Sunday before kicking off their Champions Trophy campaign against hosts Pakistan on February 19.
