Rachin Ravindra overcomes injury, debuts in ICC Champions Trophy

Star New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra has finally moved past the scary blow he endured ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy. The Kiwis joined the ODI tri-national series in Pakistan as a prelude to the ICC event. New Zealand opened the series against the hosts, where they beat Pakistan by five wickets. However, the match involved an unfortunate incident when Rachin Ravindra took a hit straight on his forehead while fielding. The injury, which led to Ravindra bleeding on the ground, effectively raised concerns about his participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

ICC Champions Trophy: Rachin Ravindra joins New Zealand Playing XI for second group stage fixture

It was later updated that Rachin had sustained a laceration due to the ball striking his forehead. Consequently, the opening batter missed the rest of the matches in the ODI tri-national series. Moreover, Ravindra also missed the ICC Champions Trophy opener between Pakistan and New Zealand on 19 February in Karachi. Meanwhile, the team fared well as they won the ODI tri-series title by defeating the hosts in the final. The Kiwis also marked their third straight victory over Pakistan in a week by beating the defending champions in the Champions Trophy opener by 60 runs.

However, the New Zealand vs Bangladesh fixture, their second group stage match, has finally featured the young prospect. In Ravindra's absence, Will Young opened the innings along with Devon Conway. Meanwhile, Ravindra has replaced Daryl Mitchell in the New Zealand playing XI for the match against Bangladesh. After a commanding victory to open the tournament, New Zealand sits in a favorable spot in Group A, which includes India as well. Effectively, the New Zealand vs Bangladesh match will mark Rachin Ravindra's debut in the Champions Trophy. The youngster will look to emulate his performance from the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he scored 578 runs, including three centuries across 10 matches, before New Zealand lost the semi-final against India.

India has won two matches, with their last group stage match scheduled against New Zealand on March 2 in Dubai. Both India and New Zealand didn’t find it difficult to overcome the defending champions, as the India vs Pakistan match ended with a six-wicket victory for the Men in Blue. Meanwhile, New Zealand will hope for Rachin Ravindra to regain his rhythm after the short injury-marred hiatus. The India vs New Zealand match is set to be a battle of equals, as both teams look in sublime form. Moreover, if New Zealand wins their match against Bangladesh, the likely outcome of the tussle, Pakistan would officially be ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy.