Rachin Ravindra’s injury blow has shocked New Zealand cricket fans before the Australia series. The 25-year-old all-rounder crashed into the boundary boards during fielding practice this week. His face took a nasty hit that cut his upper lip and nose badly.
Doctors had to stitch up Ravindra’s wounds after the freak accident happened. He cleared the concussion tests, but the facial cuts need time to heal properly. New Zealand will miss their star player against Australia in this important series now.
How the Freak Accident Happened
Ravindra was diving for the ball during regular fielding drills at practice grounds. He couldn’t stop himself and slammed straight into the perimeter boundary hoarding there. The impact left him bleeding from his lip and nose immediately after.
Medical staff rushed onto the field to check on him right after the crash. Rachin Ravindra’s injury blow means he can’t play cricket for several weeks, minimum. The team management decided not to risk his health for these upcoming matches.
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Coach’s Reaction to Losing Key Player
Head coach Rob Walter spoke about losing Ravindra from the squad this morning. He said player safety always comes first, no matter how important the series is. Walter admitted that Rachin Ravindra’s injury blow hurts their team balance going forward here.
New Zealand has already lost several players to various injuries this season, frustratingly. Mitchell Santner, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen, Adam Milne, and Lockie Ferguson are sidelined. The Kiwis are running out of fit players for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy matches.
“It’s a tremendous honour to have the trophy in my family name, and it’s great to hear the players still really value it,” said Hadlee.
“In any sport between New Zealand and Australia, the rivalry is always there, and it’s certainly the case for cricket, given the storied history between the sides. We’ve always been a slightly underrated team, and we’ve got to lift our game to have the better of the bigger brother.”
Sir Richard Hadlee said having the trophy named after him remains a special honour.
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James Neesham Gets the Call
“We’re lucky to be able to call on Jimmy, who brings all his experience and all-round capabilities. It’s going to be a big night at Bay Oval and I know we’re all looking forward to getting the Chappell-Hadlee underway,” Rob Walter said.
James Neesham will replace Ravindra in New Zealand’s T20I squad against Australia now. The experienced all-rounder gets another chance to prove himself at the international level again.
