Rachin Ravindra had quite a stellar debut as the New Zealand youngster starred both with bat and the ball as Chennai Super Kings began their title defence. The CSK vs RCB IPL 2024 opener in Chepaouk Stadium was up for a thriller as Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted a 174-run target.
Rachin Ravindra was given an immediate opportunity in the XI after being signed by the Super Kings following his achievements in the World Cup for New Zealand last year. The left-handed opener replaced his countryman Devon Conway, who would miss the first half of the IPL 2024 season due to injury.
Opening alongside newly appointed CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra hit a short yet impressive 37-run knockoff of 15 balls. Rachin started the innings off with a first-ball four off a thick inside edge. Ravindra, meanwhile, cruised to 22 off nine balls. He picked up the pace even more as he nailed Aizarri Joseph’s opening ball over backward square leg for six.
Rachin Ravindra makes a stellar catch to dismiss Faf Du Plessis:
However, his explosive innings came to an end after being caught out by Karn Sharma. However, Rachin Ravindra also had a good outing with the ball when he caught a stellar catch as Mustafizur Rahman disrupted RCB by dismissing Faf du Plessis.
After allowing a boundary on his second delivery, the left-arm pacer delivered a full-length ball, moving away from Du Plessis. The RCB captain attempted a daring lofted shot over the infield, only to find Rachin Ravindra stationed in the deep. The talented cricketer from New Zealand demonstrated his exceptional fielding prowess by executing a remarkable forward-diving catch at the boundary near the deep point.