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ICC World Cup 2023: Who is Rachin Ravindra, the New Zealand batting hero named after 2 Indian cricket greats?

Here are five things to know about this young cricket hero

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Reuters
by

Trends Desk

Published: Fri 6 Oct 2023, 6:28 PM

Making his World Cup debut against defending champions England on Thursday in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra came up with a memorable century to earn a comfortable win for his side.

Coming out to bat at No. 3, Ravindra — whose parents were born in India — made full use of Kane Williamson’s absence by producing a fabulous unbeaten knock of 123 off just 96 balls. His unbroken partnership with Devon Conway— the fourth-biggest one in the history of the World Cup—was enough for the Kiwis to clinch an emphatic nine-wicket win.

Here are five things to know about this young cricket hero:

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1. The 23-year-old was born to Indian immigrants in Wellington.

Ravindra was named by his parents after two cricket greats – Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. “I think those two (Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar) are pretty special cricketers. I've heard a lot of stories and watched a lot of footage and I guess the influence from my parents and my dad and the old-school Indian cricketers was pretty cool," Ravindra was quoted as saying by the ICC.

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2. Ravindra’s 123 against England in Ahmedabad is now the fastest century by a New Zealander in a World Cup match.

That he achieved the record in India was a special moment for the family. “I think a hundred is always special, but I guess in terms of being able to perform in India, it's cool to have the Indian roots. It was nice to have my parents there watching — they flew over from New Zealand,” Ravindra said.

3. The young cricketer made his Test and T20I debut in 2021.

In ODIs, Ravindra earned his maiden call-up earlier this year in March against Sri Lanka. With an average of 39 and a strike rate of 117.73, he has so far done a decent job in his 13 ODI matches.

4. Apart from his swashbuckling batting, Ravindra also bowls left-arm spin.

Ravindra has so far scalped 13 wickets in as many matches in ODIs. He enjoys a decent economy rate of 6.31 in the 50-over format.

5. When it comes to his batting idols, the list features the usual biggies like Sachin Tendulkar but he does have a special liking for left-handers.

“I guess being a lefty, there's guys you look at: I love Lara, I love Sangakkara, just the usual gun left-handers; but Tendulkar was definitely the idol,” he added.

Keywords: Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand, ICC World Cup 2023, World Cup 2023, Cricket, England vs New Zealand, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid

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Trends Desk

Published: Fri 6 Oct 2023, 6:28 PM

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