The draw keeps Marti Cifuentes’ Foxes a point ahead of Frank Lampard’s Coventry side, who are yet to be beaten in the league this season.
Two goals in two games off the bench earned Ricardo Pereira his first start of the season for Leicester, while James started on his home debut and Belgian defender Wout Faes and former England midfielder Harry Winks were also brought into the XI after the 2-2 draw at Oxford.
Lampard made just one change to his side that snatched a draw against Norwich a week earlier, with Brandon Thomas-Asante coming in for Ephron Mason-Clark.
The ceaselessly energetic Abdul Fatawu carved out the first real chance of this game, racing away from deep in his own half before bending a shot into the grasp of Rushworth.
James’ low, curled effort from outside the box demanded the most of Rushworth in a first half in which he also had to deal with a thumped effort from Mavididi, a headed attempt from Pereira and a deflected shot from Faes.
While Coventry – the competition’s most prolific side so far, with 15 goals in five games before their trip to the King Power Stadium – were limited to headed chances for Jack Rudoni and Bobby Thomas in the first half, they pressed forward with greater threat immediately after the interval.
Leicester keeper Jakub Stolarczyk kept a fierce Rudoni shot out before Wright flashed an effort just wide of the far post for the visitors in an early rush of chances.
The best of them fell to Mavididi at the other end, but Rushworth did well to stop the winger’s hasty first-time attempt after he linked up with Jordan Ayew to create time and space to shoot.
Chances kept coming after that, but Carranza failed to make the most of a Fatawu cross that found the Feyenoord loanee unmarked at the back post.