From having looked up to Williamson to replacing him in the XI and now batting alongside him, it’s been a whirlwind for the youngster.
During New Zealand’s five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on Thursday, Rachin Ravindra climbed up to the top spot on the run-scorers’ chart for this World Cup. His quickfire 42 took his tally in the tournament to 565 runs from nine innings and pushed him above Quinton de Kock (550) and Virat Kohli (543). New Zealand are all but assured of a place in the semifinals now, where they are likely to take on India in Mumbai.
“It’s a pretty surreal feeling,” Rachin told broadcasters Star Sports about his name being chanted at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the two matches he has played there. “Grateful for the support, especially playing in Bangalore where my extended family resides. Crowd chanting my name is something I will never take for granted. Once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing you dream of as a kid.”
There is a chance Rachin might not have been even in New Zealand’s first-choice XI in the World Cup if skipper Kane Williamson was fit to start the tournament, and the good fortune is not lost on the 23-year-old who has already slammed three centuries in his debut World Cup.
“Lucky enough it all sort of worked out. Six to 12 months ago, I was not in the frame. Then the stars aligned. Individual stuff aside, good to get the job done and hopefully get into the playoffs.”
Rachin is no stranger to the south of India as he has travelled here in the past to play club-level games. He would come to the Karnataka capital where his extended family lives, as part of the Hutt Hawks Cricket Club (run by his father Ravi Krishnamurthy). He has travelled to play matches in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Anantapur and Vizag.
“Lucky enough to have come here during my teenage years on club tours,” Rachin said when asked about adapting to Indian conditions. “That has helped me a lot. Nice wickets to bat on. If you play positive cricket, you get rewarded on fast outfields. You try to adapt as well as you can. You talk to Kane, Devon (Conway), who have played in the IPL for so many years, get some golden nuggets from them.”
From having looked up to Williamson to replacing him in the XI and now batting alongside him, it’s been a whirlwind for the youngster.
“I have idolised Kane, and also a lot of guys like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root. But Kane… his leadership, on and off the field, he is a calming presence. I am lucky enough to have the freedom from an inexperienced background. When you are young, you take the game on, lucky to have come off,” he said.
And before signing off, Rachin hoped he would play more at this venue in the future.
“I have loved every minute of the two games we played here. It’s a stadium special to my heart. Hopefully, I get to play more games of cricket here in the future, it’s been amazing,” he said.
Most runs so far in MCWC23 (after NZ vs SL game):
1. Rachin Ravindra (NZ) 565 runs in 9 innings, average 70.62
2. Quinton de Kock (SA) 550 runs in 8 innings, average 68.75
3. Virat Kohli (IND) 543 runs in 8 innings, average 108.60
4. David Warner (AUS) 446 runs in 8 innings, average 55.75
5. Rohit Sharma (IND) 442 runs in 8 innings, average 55.25
Source:indianexpress.com