Karachi, February 19: New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra will not feature in the ICC Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan at Karachi due to an injury he sustained during the tri-nation series’ first ODI. Ravindra suffered a forehead injury while attempting a catch off Michael Bracewell in the 38th over of the second innings during the final on February 8. The blow caused bleeding, and Ravindra was immediately taken off the field. He did not return to play for the remainder of the match.
Ravindra received stitches for the injury the following day, and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) monitored him under Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocols. He has since been recovering, though he continues to feel the effects of the injury. NZ head coach Gary Stead had earlier mentioned that Ravindra’s headache had subsided, but more steps were needed before he would be considered fit to play.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner confirmed during the toss for the Champions Trophy opener that Ravindra was not yet ready for his on-field return. Ravindra’s absence saw Will Young take his spot in the playing XI. Ravindra had been in solid form, scoring 203 runs in his last seven matches, averaging 29.00.
In the match, Pakistan won the toss and chose to field first.
Playing XIs:
- Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
- New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke.