New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has revealed Rachin Ravindra is recovering from the injury sustained during the first ODI of the tri-series against Pakistan, but has remained cautious about his availability for the Champions Trophy curtain-raiser on February 19.
During the first match of the tri-nation series, Ravindra copped a blow while fielding in the deep, apparently losing sight of the ball in the floodlights in an attempt to take a catch. The nasty injury resulted in heavy bleeding near his eye before he was taken off the field by the team physio.
While Ravindra hit the nets yesterday (February 13) for the first time since the injury, Stead stressed that the all-rounder's recovery is being monitored closely, and will be slow and cautious.
Speaking on the team's social media channels, Stead revealed that Ravindra "had a headache for a few days" but is gradually improving. While the all-rounder is effectively ruled out of the tri-series final against Pakistan on Friday, Stead emphasised that "there's still a few more steps for him to go through" for Ravindra before they consider him for the Champions Trophy opener on February 19.
Shaheen Shah Afridi ✅
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 13, 2025
Saud Shakeel✅
Kamran Ghulam ✅
Three Pakistan players have been fined for heated on-field exchanges during their ODI tri-series win against South Africa.
Read here ➡️ https://t.co/mveLLkPvfy pic.twitter.com/5XEWiWFYiA
"Rachin obviously got that nasty blow in Lahore to the forehead. The pleasing thing is he's progressing well. So, we are following HIA [Head Injury Assessment] protocols at the moment. He's had a headache for a few days, but that's subsiding, which is really good news. He hit a few balls tonight for the first time, which is good. But there's still a few more steps for him to go through before he will be considered fit for play," Stead stated.
Stead provides update on Lockie Ferguson's injury
Meanwhile, Stead provided a positive update on Lockie Ferguon's injury status. The fast bowler is making good progress after suffering a hamstring injury in ILT20 2025 and is on the verge of returning to the ODI side after a long hiatus; he last played in November 2023 at the Cricket World Cup.
"Lockie’s had a couple of bowls since he’s been here. He lifted the intensity up a little more tonight. Pleased with how he’s tracking so, certainly, we’ll look to have him playing in one of the next two games. If anyone’s got small niggles, we’re likely to be conservative around that, with the Champions Trophy just around the corner," Stead added.
