Rachin Ravindra

Born to Indian parents in Wellington, Rachin Ravindra is an attacking left-hand batter who can also bowl some quality left-arm spin. Thanks to his all-round skills, he was identified as a special talent in the domestic circuit and got ample opportunities with the U-19 and New Zealand A side before making bigger strides. With a healthy strike rate of around 100 in the shorter formats, Rachin usually plays at the top of the order for Wellington and is known for his attacking approach with both bat and ball.

His consistency in domestic cricket earned him an international debut for New Zealand (against Bangladesh in a T20I in September 2021), and it didn’t take long for the southpaw to make his Test debut as well (against India in November 2021). Interestingly, Rachin’s father, Ravi Krishnamurthy, is a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid - hence the name “Rachin,” combining “Ra” and “chin.”

2023 proved to be his breakout year. Initially not in contention for the ODI World Cup, an injury to Michael Bracewell opened the door. Ravindra grabbed the opportunity with both hands, scoring a stunning century against England in the opener and finishing the tournament with 578 runs at an average of 64+ and a strike rate over 100, emerging as one of the finds of the tournament and winning the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award.