Rachin Ravindra made his Test debut for New Zealand against India at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur in November 2021. Though he managed to score only 13 and 18 in both innings, what stood out was Ravindra’s grit and determination in the second essay. 

With the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel picking up eight wickets and taking India to the verge of yet another home win, Ravindra proved a tough nut to crack. On a fifth-day track that had turn and uneven bounce, Ravindra survived 91 balls for his 18 runs to deny India an outright win.

On his second visit, the Washington Freedom all-rounder continues to torment the Indians with his display on the field. In a young but promising Test career, he has aced one of the most difficult tests for an overseas batter, to perform in Indian conditions. In the three-Test series in India, Ravindra amassed 256 runs, including a hundred and a fifty, at an impressive average of 51.20.

Having scored a double hundred against South Africa and two fifties against Australia at home earlier this year, Ravindra confidently set off for the subcontinental challenge which included tours to Sri Lanka and India. The 24-year-old Ravindra was the top run-getter for the Kiwis with a tally of 153 runs in Sri Lanka, despite losing the series 2-0. 

The Kiwis came to India after suffering a clean sweep in the island nation. And their record in India was also nothing they could boast about with the last Test win here coming 36 years ago. India were also on a high after thumping Bangladesh 2-0 including a Test win inside two days in Kanpur.

But Ravindra held his own in the first Test in Bangalore to help New Zealand register one of their biggest wins in Test cricket. After bowling out India for a paltry 46, the Kiwis batted India out of the contest with Ravindra scoring 134. He was comfortable against both pacers and spinners as he used his feet and the depth of the crease admirably to tackle the slower bowlers.

He put on an exhibition by playing against spin with runs coming all over the park. With a huge deficit, India found it difficult to put a challenging total for the Kiwis. In the final innings too, Ravindra played a composed unbeaten knock to see the Kiwis through a tricky chase on the final day.

With a win and the much-needed confidence behind them, New Zealand pulled off the unthinkable, a series win in India by any team for the first time in 12 years. Once again, Ravindra played a key role with a half-century in the first innings of the second Test to help the Kiwis win their first Test series on Indian soil and script history.

The Kiwis also won the third Test in Mumbai by 25 runs to become the first team ever in the history of the game to get a clean sweep in India in a Test series consisting of three or more Tests.

ODI World Cup 2023

Ravindra made his bow with New Zealand in a T20I against Bangladesh in September 2021 and went on to win his Test cap two months later in India. He had to wait for another 16 months before he could figure in the New Zealand ODI team in March 2023.

However, Ravindra made quick strides to become one of the mainstays in the side. The 2023 ODI World Cup in India proved a game-changer for him as he was easily New Zealand’s best performer in the showpiece event.

Ravindra had a stellar campaign finishing fourth in the overall batting charts with 578 runs from 10 matches at an astonishing average of 64.22 and a strike rate of 106.44. With three hundreds and two fifties in 10 innings, he was also the Kiwis’ top-scorer in their run till the semi-finals in the tournament. He also picked up five wickets with the ball.

Ravindra’s exploits at the ODI World Cup also won him the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023. 

Switch to T20s and franchise cricket

Ravindra was signed by the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League after his good showing in India during the World Cup. He put in impactful performances with the bat scoring 222 runs, including a fifty, at a strike rate of 160.86.

With the Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket 2024, Ravindra shone as a utility player showing off his all-round skills. He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, behind Saurabh Netravalkar, picking up 12 wickets from six innings at an excellent average of 6.08 and a strike rate of 7.58. 

Seven of Ravindra’s 12 wickets in MLC 2024 came in the knockout phase as he finished the tournament with two four-wicket hauls. He played the role of a finisher with the bat hitting 99 runs at a strike rate of 137.50. He also had four catches to his name from the seven matches he played for us in MLC this year.

With his impressive showing in the Test series in India, Ravindra has shown immense promise and is proving to be an exciting all-format player.