Rachin Ravindra, the finest emerging superstar in the 2023 World Cup, spoke about his Indian heritage after another stunning batting effort against archrivals Australia in Dharamsala on October 28.
Ravindra Jadeja hammered 116 off 89 deliveries to enable New Zealand nearly achieve a World Cup chase record of 289. It was Ravindra’s second century of the tournament, following his stunning hit of 123* against England on the first day.
Despite being included to the World Cup team as a bowling all-rounder, the southpaw has filled in well for the injured Kane Williamson in New Zealand’s top order.
Rachin Ravindra denied any pressure to succeed in India due to his Indian background during the post-game news conference.
“Oh, well, I think, I’ve been asked this question a lot, but I guess I’m 100% Kiwi and I’m very proud of my Indian heritage,” Ravindra said. “But I guess it’s proud to be able to do it in the country where my parents were born and where they grew up and where a lot of my family is.
“But I think, obviously the conditions, it’s good for batting and being able to come to India previously on tours and trying to not perfect my game but I try get better. I guess that that helps in a way.”
Rachin Ravindra
Ravindra is the World Cup’s third best run-scorer, with 406 runs at an 81.20 average and 107.69 strike rate.
Even though he played heroically, New Zealand couldn’t quite clinch the win, falling short by five runs on the last ball. This marked their second straight loss. Still, they’re proving their mettle, poised comfortably at the top of the leaderboard and looking likely to qualify for the semi-finals, having already secured four wins from their six matches.
“Probably one of the best crowds we’ve played in India” – Rachin Ravindra
Rachin Ravindra also praised the fan support for the Kiwis during their thriller versus Australia in Dharamsala.
The Black Caps were up against steep odds, chasing a seemingly impossible 389 to win. But they gave it their all, much to the excitement of their thrilled fans in the stands. Rooting for New Zealand to secure a miraculous victory, the crowd was on their toes as the team came tantalizingly close to making World Cup history, just a hit away from glory.
“I think this was probably one of the best crowds we’ve played in India and having that sort of fanfare and the response, like how they responded to the game was pretty special, I think,” Ravindra said. “As a kid, you always dream of the crowd chanting your name and it was cool to see them do that on multiple occasions even when Aussie were batting and when Nish [Neesham] did his thing at the end.
“So, I think it’s always special, you sort of soak in those moments and hopefully we never really take them for granted.”
Rachin Ravindra
Rachin Ravindra also praised the fan support for the Kiwis during their thriller versus Australia in Dharamsala.
After kicking off their 2023 World Campaign on a disappointing note with two losses, the five-time champions have definitely turned their fortunes around! They’ve won their subsequent four matches and now, they’re on a promising path towards semi-final qualification.
