Rachin Ravindra: A rising New Zealand cricket star with Indian connection

From not being in New Zealand’s initial ICC World Cup 2023 plans to being one of the breakout stars of the tournament, the story of Rachin Ravindra’s rise involves a plot twist of epic proportions.

Selected for the ODI World Cup in India only because of injuries to Kane Williamson and Michael Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra was expected to provide decent support in the middle with the bat and do the job as an additional spin option.

However, Rachin, who came into the World Cup with just 12 ODIs under his belt, made the cricket world take notice with his exquisite stroke-making and spin-bowling abilities.

Rachin Ravindra scored 578 runs in the ODI World Cup 2023 — a record for most runs by a batter playing his first World Cup. The feat helped him overtake the likes of legendary Sachin Tendulkar and the highly-rated Pakistani captain Babar Azam on the list.

Rachin was also among the top run-scorers in the 2023 ODI World Cup and was named the player of the month by the ICC in October 2023.

The Kiwi batter scored a century on his World Cup debut against England at the Narendra Modi stadium, the world’s biggest cricket amphitheatre in Ahmedabad. England were playing as the defending champions after defeating New Zealand in the 2019 final. Rachin’s knock was also the fastest century by a New Zealand player in the ODI World Cup, taking just 82 balls.

After hitting his maiden ton, Ravindra hit two more centuries in the campaign against former champions Australia and Pakistan.

Though Rachin Ravindra plays for New Zealand, he proudly embraces his Indian roots and celebrates its rich heritage.

"Crowd chanting my name is something I will never take for granted. I dreamt of it as a child. Six to 12 months ago, I was not even in the frame but the stars have aligned,” Rachin Ravindra said after playing a match-winning knock against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, where his grandparents continue to reside.

Rachin Ravindra's heroics at the 2023 ODI World Cup also saw him acquired by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 1.8 crores at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction. The Kiwi all-rounder played 10 matches in his IPL debut season and scored 222 runs.

Where was Rachin Ravindra born

Rachin was born in Wellington on November 18, 1999. His father Ravi Krishnamurthy, born in Bengaluru, was a software architect who settled in New Zealand in 1997.

Cricket was always a part of Rachin Ravindra’s family. His father was a cricket enthusiast who continued playing at the club level even after shifting to New Zealand.

Rachin believed that he was named after his father’s favourite cricketers - Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid (“Ra” from Rahul and “chin” from Sachin). But the name was just a coincidence.

“When Rachin was born, my wife suggested the name, and we didn’t spend a lot of time discussing it,” Ravi Krishnamurthy told The Print. “The name sounded good, was easy to spell, and short, so we decided to go with it.

“It was only some years later that we realised the name was a mix of Rahul and Sachin’s names. He wasn’t named with the intention to make our child a cricketer or anything of the sort.”

Nevertheless, influenced by his father’s affection for the sport, Rachin Ravindra began playing cricket at the age of five and travelled to Bengaluru along with his father every year with the club team.

"I think I am lucky enough to have come here (India) often, especially during my teenage years. Almost like a club tour kind of thing, play games on these practice pitches, I think it has helped me a lot," Rachin said when asked about what helped him perform so well in Indian conditions during the World Cup.

Rachin Ravindra’s career

Rachin Ravindra was part of the New Zealand squad for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2016. At just 16, he was the youngest player in the New Zealand squad.

He also played in the 2018 U19 World Cup and was named one of the rising stars of the tournament by the ICC. He made his List A debut for New Zealand A against Pakistan A in the same year.

Three years later, Rachin made his Test debut against India in Kanpur. Though he did not have the best of the series, his 91-ball 18 not out, at No. 8. saved the Test match for New Zealand late in December 2021.

He was also selected for the Bangladesh series in early January 2022 but failed to produce the goods.

Rachin Ravindra made his debut in T20 International cricket against Bangladesh in 2021.

An all-rounder, Rachin bowls left-arm spin like his hero Daniel Vettori, after whom he tried to model his bowling action. The now-retired Vettori, also an all-rounder, is one of the leading wicket-takers for New Zealand in international cricket.

For his efforts, especially during the ODI World Cup, Rachin Ravindra was named ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2023.

Ravindra hit his maiden Test hundred in February 2024. Facing South Africa, he scored 240 in the First Test and picked up six wickets in the two Test matches to help New Zealand win their first Test series against the Proteas.

In March 2024, Ravindra, at 24, became the youngest player to receive the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal, the highest award for men's cricket in New Zealand. He was also part of the New Zealand squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup.