(October 10, 2023) As the teams across the globe are battling out for the Cricket World Cup in 2023, the New Zealand cricket team has come to the field with the country’s most promising allrounder – Rachin Ravindra. One of the fast-rising cricketers in the New Zealand set-up, the batsman and left-arm spinner, the cricketer recently turned heads with a courageous century to help New Zealand beat England in the opening match of ODI World Cup 2023, making him the youngest centurion in World Cup history for the country. His pivotal performance with the ball, including the dismissal of Harry Brook, significantly contributed to New Zealand’s effective containment of England.
At 16, Rachin – who was named after two cricketing legends (‘Ra’ from Rahul and ‘chin’ from Sachin) – was the youngest New Zealander to feature in the 2016 World Cup in Bangladesh, where he impressed everyone with his extraordinary talent. “Since I was a kid, I have been a batsman,” the Global Indian said in an interview, “However, with time my bowling has improved and I am now an all-rounder for my team. All my efforts during this World Cup will be to ensure that New Zealand takes the cup home.”
Living his father’s dream
About three decades back, Rachin’s father, Ravi Krishnamurthy played club-level cricket in his hometown Bangalore, with the likes of Javagal Srinath and J Arunkumar. And after shifting to Wellington in New Zealand, Krishnamurthy passed on his passion for cricket to his son. Speaking about Rachin in a recent interview, he said, “I tried to get my daughter into cricket and she didn’t. With Rachin, I didn’t try, and he did.”
Interestingly, Javagal Srinath, whom Rachin affectionately refers to as ‘Sri uncle’, has had a deep impact on the allrounder. “He is a good friend of my father and would visit us every time he was in New Zealand on match referee duty. We also got to meet him whenever we were in Bengaluru. He’s my gym buddy, but I can’t lift the kind of weights he does,” shared the cricketer, adding, “He is always happy to chat cricket with me whenever he’s here. He’s been very kind to spend time with me and talk about experiences that shaped him in his cricket career. How India’s outlook is towards cricket, cricketers, and stuff like that. I’ve been fortunate to have been able to spend time with some former cricketers.”
Krishnamurthy, who is also Rachin’s coach, noticed that the allrounder loved cricket from a very young age. Even when he was just five years old, he would play with his cricket bat and practice hitting plastic balls in their backyard. As he grew up, he continued to play cricket in school and district matches, and he became known for his graceful and difficult-to-dismiss batting skills.
Rachin with his family
But playing well came with its price. The young allrounder had to balance cricket as well as his studies growing up, especially after he started playing for his national team, and would have to accompany them to international tournaments. “While I was pretty serious about cricket, I wanted to always go ahead with a backup plan. My father was a software engineer, and he instilled the value of a good education in me at a very early age. I want to either do law or computer engineering. And to be honest, I have had no problems balancing cricket and studies. My parents have always encouraged me to do what I want. It’s just coincidence that my passion coincides with my dad’s passion,” the allrounder says.
On the strike
After a terrific performance at the 2016 and 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, as part of the Kiwi squad, the allrounder made his first-class debut for the New Zealand A team against Pakistan in 2018. With his roots in India, it was a good match for the allrounder to start his Test cricket career here two years ago. Now, he’s about to make his first appearance in the World Cup in the same country.
Rachin poses with Sir Richard Hadlee after winning New Zealand’s Young Cricketer of the Year award
“Looking back on my Test debut, it was a special and emotional time. Being able to play in India, the fanfare around the game here, to be able to experience that is pretty special,” the allrounder said. Talking about being a part of the 2023 NZ squad, Rachin added, “It has been a great ride. You always think one day you might get a chance. Being a 19-year-old at that time, a few years into professional cricket, you have those dreams to be part of a World Cup. It is pretty cool how it has come to fruition. My only aim now is to be at the top of my game and take the cup home.”
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