Lighting up the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is young Kiwi batter Rachin Ravindra. The 23-year-old slammed a fine century in the opening game and then went on to showcase his fine form with a crafty fifty against India.
Rachin, who is of Indian descent has been named after two Indian greats, Rahul Dravid + Sachin Tendulkar played a beautiful knock to recover the Kiwis from their initial slumber, and that too in front of Rahul Dravid. The young batter played exceptionally well to bring up a calm and composed fifty from just 56 balls.
The young batter announced himself on the big stage when he slammed a fine century against England in the opening game of the tournament and has constantly helped his side by bringing up runs. But when it matters the most, Rachin came strongly. In a clash of the table toppers, he showcased his class.
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It goes without saying that Rachin Ravindra is having a great World Cup campaign, not to forget that it is his debut World Cup campaign. The youngster found himself coming to the crease early on in the innings after India began their bowling spell on a fiery note to dismiss opener Devon Conway for a nine-ball duck.
Will Young too was dismissed on Mohammed Shami’s first ball as Conway and Daryl Mitchell began the rebuild for the New Zealand side. The duo batters began cautiously not to attack the good balls.
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139* – Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, Dharamsala, 2023
136 – Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth, Nagpur, 1987
129* – Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif, Centurion, 2003
127 – Mohammad Azharduddin and Sachin Tendulkar, Dunedin, 1992
116 – MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, Manchester, 2019
100 – John Wright and Bruce Edgar, Leeds, 1979
But with the pitch providing no assistance to the bowlers as the game progressed, the duo batters came out with all guns blazing. Rachin slammed 5 fours and a solitary six to reach his half-century.
Talking about New Zealand batsman Rachin Ravindra, Harbhajan Singh said, “He plays proper cricketing shots. Yuvraj Singh’s talent for these shots was amazing. His batting sense was very straightforward – he never played the ball from afar. He looked at playing it very straight, in the V. But Rachin Ravindra doesn’t have the flow that Yuvraj Singh had. Yuvraj Singh had a different flow, a different power. He (Rachin Ravindra) doesn’t possess the same power, but he exhibits that form. He is a delight to watch. When you observe him play, you can’t imagine him getting out. He handles all types of bowling very well, whether it’s fast bowling or spin. He is still young and of Indian origin. However, coming to India and performing in the World Cup, making runs against such a formidable team, demonstrates his strong mentality. Based on what we have seen so far, he is a future star of world cricket.”
Tune in to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, streaming free on mobile on Disney+ Hotstar, and broadcast LIVE on Star Sports Network.
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