Despite not playing a single match, Rachin Ravindra was named the Player of the Tournament. He had also impressed during the last ODI World Cup, and after Kane Williamson, New Zealand has gifted the world of cricket another gem.
Host Harsha Bhogle remarked, “…It’s a wonderful award…” Upon hearing this, Ravindra looked at the trophy in his hands, but there seemed to be no change in his expression. The sensation of New Zealand cricket said, “Personal recognition is always great, but…”
However, nothing beats team achievement. Ravindra later added that winning the tournament’s top honor didn’t quite fulfill him. He wanted the real trophy—the one the champions receive!
Sunday night in Dubai seemed like a flashback to the 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s. Back then, New Zealand had lost the final, and a disappointed Kane Williamson had accepted the Player of the Tournament award. This time, the Champions Trophy final wasn’t as nail-biting, but the Kiwis fought hard. Ravindra received the tournament’s best award with an unfulfilled heart.
Interestingly, Ravindra couldn’t play in the opening match of the tournament. During the preparatory tri-nation series, he injured his forehead while trying to take a catch and was sidelined. He made his return in the team’s second match. That day, he couldn’t bat in his preferred position at the top of the order against Bangladesh. However, batting at number four, he played a match-winning innings of 112 runs off 105 balls.
In the next match against India, he was out for just 6 runs. But in the semi-final, he smashed 108 runs off 101 balls, tearing apart South Africa’s bowling attack. He began brilliantly in the final too, but Kuldeep Yadav’s brilliant delivery dismissed him for 37 runs off 29 balls.
In just four matches, Ravindra scored a total of 263 runs at an average of 65.75, with a strike rate of 106.47. With the ball, he took three wickets, conceding just 4.66 runs per over. Among those wickets were key dismissals of Aiden Markram in the semi-final and Rohit Sharma in the final. The race for Player of the Tournament was, in a way, one-sided.
However, despite his personal success, Ravindra’s achievement didn’t bring him much joy due to the team’s loss.
“Of course, it’s a bittersweet feeling… It was a great final… We played some excellent cricket on our way to the final… The match today was good, congratulations to India,” he said.
“Personal recognition is definitely wonderful. But playing for a great team, that’s been so enjoyable.”
Holding the Player of the Tournament trophy, the 25-year-old rising star expressed his regret for not winning the true trophy.
“If we had won the real trophy, it would have been the icing on the cake. But this is just how cricket can sometimes be cruel,” Ravindra shared.
Even though the team didn’t win, Ravindra proved his talent and ability on the global stage once again. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, he stunned everyone by scoring 578 runs with three centuries and two fifties. In this Champions Trophy, he scored two centuries, the most by any New Zealand batter in an ICC tournament.
While many big-name cricketers sometimes lose their way on the world stage, Ravindra has shone brightly from the start of his career. However, he didn’t want to take too much credit for it.
“I don’t know (why I perform well in global tournaments)… Maybe it’s just that I’m playing on really good pitches… But I enjoy playing in these kinds of tournaments. The kind of preparation that goes into them, and the fact that everyone has one goal—getting to the playoffs or knockouts, everyone wants to play in the final. I enjoy these things.”
In the 2023 World Cup, he arrived as a young cricketer who might not have gotten a chance if there hadn’t been injuries in the team. After shining in that tournament, he has now become an essential part of the team. Though still relatively inexperienced, Ravindra doesn’t see a big difference between young and experienced players in such tournaments.
“I wouldn’t say that. I think every member of the squad, all 15, has a role to play. That’s the beauty of the Black Caps squad. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an established player or a rookie. The atmosphere here is great. We just go out and try to do our job and contribute to the team. Experience definitely helps, and we can support each other more in such situations.”
With talent, performance, temperament, and mentality all aligned, it can be said that New Zealand has once again gifted the cricketing world another gem before Kane Williamson’s departure. Ravindra’s Test career also started strong, with an impressive 240-run innings against South Africa in the Mount Maunganui Test last year. He also played an aggressive 140-run innings in India last October. If all goes well, he’ll continue to shine for New Zealand for many more years.
His roots, however, lie in India. This has often been discussed at length. His parents are both Indian, with his father, Ravi Krishnamurthy, also a cricketer. He played club cricket in Bangalore with stars like Javagal Srinath. Many Bangalore cricketers are his friends. However, his father’s cricketing career didn’t go far, and he eventually became a software system architect.
This career path took Ravindra to England, Singapore, and Australia. After traveling around various countries, he eventually settled in New Zealand. Ravindra was born in Wellington in 1999 and grew up in the New Zealand cricket system. He has often said he considers himself a true New Zealander, though he always speaks with respect for his roots. Even after being named Player of the Tournament, Ravindra expressed gratitude in his words.
“I always say I’m proud of my past. I have so many people to thank, it would take me an hour to name them all. I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way.”
