Rachin Ravindra: From cheering for NZ at a Bengaluru bar in 2019 to being part of 2023 World Cup batch
Rachin Ravindra found the night of July 14, 2019, one of the longest and hardest to endure as he watched New Zealand's heartbreaking defeat to England in the ODI World Cup final sitting in a Bengaluru pub. Ravindra, then all of 19 was on an annual trip to India with his father's cricket club and the roller-coaster experience of watching the final is still etched in his memory.
New Zealand losing that final to England on the boundary count-back rule divides opinion to this day.
Rachin, whose first name is inspired by the first names of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, remembers that night as it was yesterday.
As a budding cricketer dreaming to represent New Zealand one day, the Indian-origin circketer was shattered with the outcome of the game and the desire to represent New Zealand grew stronger.
Cut to 2023, he is among the fast rising cricketers in the New Zealand set-up.
Primarily a batter, who also takes his left-arm spin very seriously, Rachin has already made a statement with a gutsy 97 as an opener in the World Cup warm-up against Pakistan here last week.
Born to Indian parents in Wellington, Rachin has a strong connect with the cricket mad nation with his family roots in Bengaluru. It was fitting that he made his Test debut in India two years ago and now he is set to make his World Cup debut here.
«Looking back on my Test debut, it was a special and emotional time. Being able to play in India, the fanfare around the game here, to be able to experience that is pretty special.
»My parents come from Bangalore and it is amazing to play a World Cup here," the 23-year-old PTI referring to the Kanpur Test which he was able to draw for his team while batting alongside number 11 Ajaz Patel.
