Youngster Rachin Ravindra continued his stunning form in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday, 26 March. Playing against Gujarat Titans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Rachin got Chennai Super Kings off to flier scoring 46 runs off 20 balls.
Rachin punished the GT pace attack comprising Azmatullah Omarzai and Umesh Yadav to rise in stature in front of the dedicated Chennai crowd.
The young New Zealand left-hander opened the batting alongside captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. The batter was drafted in for just Rs 1.8 crores by CSK in the IPL 2024 auction after playing out a sensational ODI World Cup 2023. Rachin repaid CSK’s faith with blazing starts in both matches in what promises to be an incredible season for him in the Indian Premier League.
Ravindra has settled in perfectly in place of another New Zealander Devon Conway who was prolific for CSK in the top order in the past two seasons.
RACHIN: EMERGING PLAYER IN 2023
Rachin Ravindra marked off a phenomenal 2023 season by winning the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award. The all-rounder was one of the top young performers of the year, majorly during the ICC ODI World Cup in the same year.
The Wellington-born player’s impressive performance at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he amassed 578 runs in nine appearances-featuring three centuries and two fifties-distinguished him from competitors such as Gerald Coetzee, Yashahsvi Jaiswal, and Dilshan Madushanka. These players were also recognised as some of the best young performers in the same year.
“It’s obviously a very special feeling. Whenever you get recognised by the ICC for something it is always special. Reflecting back it has been a pretty whirlwind last year and having the opportunity to play so much cricket in so many different environments has been very special,” Ravindra had thanked the ICC for his award.
Additionally, Rachin’s three hundreds in the World Cup was the most by any New Zealand cricketer in a single edition of the tournament, a record that makes his numbers look ever more impressive at the young age of 24. The player took the entire cricket world by storm with his performance last year, leading to hailing him as one of the potential big names of the game.
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