Bengaluru (Karnataka): Young New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra is shining with the willow in the ongoing World Cup, which is being held in India. The left-handed batter, who was named by his father on former India players - batting great Sachin Tendulkar and current India head coach Rahul Dravid - has already scored three centuries in the current edition of the marquee tournament and is in scintillating form.
There is no doubt that Rachin Ravindra would amass many more hundreds and will be a future star for New Zealand. Rachin's maternal and paternal home is in Karnataka and his grandparents stay in capital city Bengaluru. His maternal grandfather TA Balakrishna is keen to see Rachin Ravindra play in the final to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19 against India and do well.
"Team India has played well in the World Cup. They have won every match they have played so far (in the marquee tournament). I would love to see New Zealand and India play in the final. May Rachin (Ravindra) play well in that match and may Team India become champions," Balakrishna said.
Speaking about his grandson's journey, Balakrishna recalled that in 1997 Rachin's parents moved to New Zealand for work and got citizenship there.
"Rachin was born there in 1999. His father Ravi Krishnamurthy was his first teacher. Ravi Krishnamurthy had experience playing club cricket. He went to different states with his father for club cricket matches.
'From there, his love for cricket grew. His father and mother named Rachin which includes Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid's names because of his passion for cricket" Balakrishna elaborated.
Rahul Dravid had praised Rachin Ravindra after the youngster announced himself on the big stage by scoring a match-winning hundred against defending champions England in the lung opener of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup which was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 5.
"In New Zealand, Rachin and (Kane) Williamson play for the same team in domestic cricket. So Kane knows well about Ravindra's playing ability. I hope he gets more opportunities. And also I wish him good opportunities. It's nice to hear senior players of our country (India) appreciating his game with open heart," added Balakrishna.
Meanwhile, when asked about Rachin Ravindra's liking for food, Balakrishnan said, "He (Rachin) devotes himself more to the game. He is on a diet. But he likes South Indian food very much. Especially Dosa, Idli. He likes home-cooked food. Every time he comes to Bangalore (Bengaluru), he tastes the delicacies."
Like India's young guns Y Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, Rachin is a promising rising talent in New Zealand. In the match against Pakistan at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here, Rachin scored his third ODI century of this World Cup and broke cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar's record for most ODI hundreds in a single edition of a World Cup before turning 25.
Balakrishna said that he went and watched the match against Pakistan at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Balakrishnan lamented that he has not been able to meet his grandson during the World Cup due to rules of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
"I went to the ground for the match against Pakistan which was held in Bengaluru. I was happy. Rachin scored a century there. I tried to meet him after the match. But, as per ICC protocol, I was not allowed. I was not able to see him during the World Cup. He will go straight to New Zealand after the tournament. Last year (2022) he spent holidays with us in Bengaluru," added Balakrishna.
Balakrishnan asserted that he would go to New Zealand after the World Cup and concluded by saying that Rachin was playing for New Zealand and was studying simultaneously.
Rachin Ravindra has played 16 innings in 20 ODIs, scoring 712 runs at a strike rate of 108.54 and an average of 47.47. 123 is his best score. Indeed the rising Kiwi star is shining bright in the country of his origin.
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