Rachin Ravindra has hit tons against Australia, England and Pakistan. Photo / Photosport
Rachin Ravindra has hit tons against Australia, England and Pakistan. Photo / Photosport
Rachin Ravindra has grown accustomed to crowds chanting his name at the Cricket World Cup.
The young gun fired the Black Caps into the knockout stages with a record 565 runs in his debut tournament, finishing pool play third in the scoring charts while delighting fansthroughout India.
That warm reception, attributable to a combination of Ravindra’s shotmaking and heritage, is unlikely to continue on Wednesday night, when he will aim to upset those fans during a semifinal against the hosts in Mumbai.
But all the noise is easy to ignore for the 23-year-old, whose calm approach in the middle has made him the breakout star of the tournament.
“It’s always a dream to have the crowd chanting your name,” Ravindra said. “You feel that energy and you feel that vibe when you’re out there in the middle and it energises you a bit.
“You hear that between balls, but then when you’re watching the ball, for me it feels dead silent — and that’s when batting is the most fun.”
There has been no shortage of fun throughout the World Cup, for both Ravindra and wide-eyed fans in the stands. An average of 71, strikerate of 108, three tons, and now the ICC player of the month award for October. But the Wellingtonian has kept his watchful eyes on a bigger prize.
“I don’t necessarily play for personal accolades and all that stuff, but the recognition is always nice,” he said. “What’s important is doing it for the team — you might end up with that award once in your career, but I think if you’re contributing to winning cricket, that’s what matters to me.”
His contributions carried a Black Caps batting group that, without Kane Williamson, might otherwise have been short of runs. It was only the skipper’s knee that handed Ravindra an opportunity to begin the tournament, blazing an unbeaten ton against England to ensure he nailed down a spot for some time to come.
“We’ve been a bit unlucky with injuries and guys ruled out, and we obviously feel for guys who have missed out,” Ravindra said. “But it’s been an amazing ride. If you’d asked me at the start of the tournament, would you expect to be in this situation? Maybe, maybe not, but we take it in our stride and enjoy the journey.”
Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra have enjoyed their partnership. Photo / Photosport
That enjoyment in the middle has been enhanced by his partnership with Devon Conway, batting well together when Ravindra filled in for Williamson at No 3 and now cemented as the Black Caps’ opening pair.
It’s a “comforting” prospect for both, having developed a relationship on and off the field in domestic cricket, and the team’s experienced core has eased Ravindra’s ascension to the biggest stage.
“No matter what they’ve achieved — the Southees, the Boults, the Williamsons — they’re still human beings and that’s why I aspire to be like them,” he said.
“There are times when Dev keeps me in check and keeps me honest. We’ve spent a lot of time together, played a lot of cricket together. We’ve helped each other out, we’ve coached each and flicked balls to each other. So we know each other’s games very well. Hopefully that translates to the middle through the knockouts.”
That hope won’t be shared inside Wankhede Stadium, where in 2011 India last lifted the World Cup. And while opposition and venue complete a trilogy of prime fixtures for the Black Caps, Ravindra will hope to inspire a different ending.
“Thinking about the last two World Cups, you’re playing the pinnacle games,” he said. “You get Aussie at the MCG, then England at Lord’s. And now playing India at Wankhede.
