Bengaluru: Kiwi cricketer Rachin Ravindra has set at least two world records in the past two weeks of the Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 — and he wasn’t even supposed to play in it.
The almost 24-year-old is the breakout star of this World Cup, exploding onto the scene like a supernova, standing solid and calm in the stunned aftermath of his performances. No one was prepared for this curly-haired young man to take the cricketing world by storm.
If New Zealand captain Kane Williamson’s gentle batting touch is comparable to Claude Monet’s serene, studied brushstrokes, Ravindra is a Jackson Pollock, flinging paint at his canvas. Young boys wear his jersey, excited to see a star in action. It doesn’t matter that he plays for another country: from Dharamshala to Bengaluru, Indians in stadiums across the country have claimed his heritage as part of their own.
And now, his team is set to take on India in the World Cup semifinals.
“Obviously the stars aligned or whatever happened, I’m lucky enough to be here,” Ravindra said in an interview at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, all grins right after beating Sri Lanka, where he took two wickets, dismissed a third with a catch, opened for New Zealand and nearly hit a 50. “It’s been a cool ride so far,” he added, with typical Gen Z nonchalance.
And playing it was only a twist of fate. Williamson’s injuries pushed Ravindra up the order, opening for his country and coming in at #3 — his captain’s position.
Three months before the World Cup, Ravindra and his father took an outside chance to travel to India and train. They landed in India in July, along with some other young Kiwi cricketers, and played matches for nearly a month in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and at the Rural Development Trust in Anantapur, preparing for Indian playing conditions.
When it was time for an official World Cup warm up match — against Pakistan in Hyderabad — Ravindra was waiting in the dugout. One of the members of the squad was tired after New Zealand’s tour in Bangladesh and couldn’t play the match.
His coach took the all-important call to call him in — he scored 97.
His performance during this World Cup sits at the top of a long laundry list of accomplishments — and his Indian connection adds to the sensationalism around him. He has been branded a “Bangalore boy”, despite stoic reminders that he is “100 percent Kiwi”.
WhatsApp forwards and Indian media have already zeroed in on his favourite South Indian foods (bonda soup, apparently), and his fluency — or lack thereof — in Kannada. Every media interaction asks him about his connection to the city his parents grew up in.
But Ravindra’s Bengaluru experience isn’t so much about his grandparents and his preferred Kannadiga meal, but, like almost everything else in his life, about cricket.
Ravindra represents something broader, too — the success that comes with the myriad opportunities migration offers.
Speaking to ThePrint, Michael Appleton, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and former Deputy High Commissioner to India, said, “We try very hard to have a society in which everyone has an opportunity to succeed. And that’s what Rachin represents in a way.”
An avid cricket fan, Appleton travelled to watch the Black Caps play Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on 9 November.
“In an international cricket sense he’s come from nowhere to play in this tournament, and he will probably score more runs in a World Cup than anyone from New Zealand ever has,” said Appleton. “And an element or two of his success must definitely come from his background, his personal story and his heritage.”
Also read: Angelo Mathews timed out — the rule behind Sri Lanka ex-captain’s controversial World Cup dismissal
Bengaluru’s Kiwi connection
An important clarification is that Ravindra’s name is not a deliberate portmanteau of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.
“When Rachin was born, my wife suggested the name, and we didn’t spend a lot of time discussing it,” said Ravi Krishnamurthy, Ravindra’s father, to ThePrint.
“The name sounded good, was easy to spell, and short, so we decided to go with it. It was only some years later that we realised the name was a mix of Rahul and Sachin’s names. He wasn’t named with the intention to make our child a cricketer or anything of the sort.”
But records have begun rolling in.
He has beaten two of Tendulkar’s records — scoring most runs in a world cup before turning 25, and scoring three centuries (against England, Pakistan, and Australia) in a world cup before 25, beating Tendulkar’s record of two. He has made the most runs in an ODI World Cup debut ever — 565 — and the tournament isn’t even over.
His three world cup centuries were also during his debut, while Tendulkar’s 1996 record was set in his second world cup. He has the best batting average among the top five batters with the most runs in their world cup debut, beating Rahul Dravid’s 1999 performance. And it goes on.
Ravindra, though, isn’t a new name for cricket fans. He has been watched like a hawk for years as he has rapidly carved a space for himself in international cricket. He’s a huge find for New Zealand cricket, according to Appleton, and an important beacon as both Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson begin to bow out.
Ravindra’s father, too, used to play cricket and was well known in the Bengaluru circuit. It’s why he insisted on Ravindra training in the city, to get used to the Indian style of play.
Suresh Reddy, a close family friend and manager of the city’s DTDC club at Samprasiddhi Sports Estadio (SSE), said Ravindra and his father have been coming regularly for years to play club-level matches in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Anantapur. Anantapur is where the Rural Development Trust ground is: it’s one of India’s most modern cricketing facilities.
Now, Bengaluru — which hasn’t had a big cricketing star since K.L. Rahul — is more than happy to celebrate this success, seeing itself as part of his story. Ravindra even called Bangaloreans his “extended family” post the Kiwi win against Sri Lanka on 9 November.
Plus, what also helped was that Ravindra played a World Cup against England in Ahmedabad during festival season in front of lakhs of people. “If he had done that on another day, it might not have received this attention,” Reddy said. Ravindra’s father, Krishnamurthy, agrees — heroes are made everyday, they say. That’s the beauty of cricket.
Ravindra has already played for New Zealand in India before — during the 2021 test match between the two teams, which ended in a draw. It was his debut for New Zealand, and a significant moment that now stands in the shadow of his spectacular run in this ODI World Cup.
There were no big strokes, almost a whimper compared to this World Cup’s big bang. But he showed great composure, defending and batting for close to four hours.
The test series, though, said Reddy, was an important insight into Ravindra’s calibre. Ravindra’s focus, he said, has always been playing good cricket for New Zealand.
His father, too, said that while his cricketing goals have evolved significantly over the years, representing New Zealand and contributing to the team’s success on the international stage — whether with the bat, ball, or in the field — is a “consistent and significant goal”.
“You can’t take the limelight away from New Zealand and put it on India at this moment,” said Reddy. “New Zealand has embraced Rachin more, rather than Rachin embracing New Zealand.”
Before the match against Sri Lanka on 9 November, Reddy gave away New Zealand jerseys emblazoned with Ravindra’s name to those who come to play and practice at the club. The excitement is off the charts for those who come to SSE to play: after all, Ravindra has also played on this very same pitch.
“A lot of people are watching him: the media, past heroes, future stars,” said Reddy, in a matter-of-fact way. “But those who know him, and those who have followed him — none are surprised.”
Cricket in his blood
Cricket runs in Ravindra’s blood. It’s a cliche, but it’s true.
Both his father and his paternal grandfather live and breathe the game, having played cricket in Bengaluru.
But leaving India had nothing to do with cricket. His father Krishnamurthy and his family moved to New Zealand for a job opportunity — with Oracle — before Ravindra was even born.
“As parents, our hopes for our children extend to any field they choose to pursue. When Rachin expressed an interest in cricket, we supported him wholeheartedly and hoped he would excel in it, just as we would for our daughter in her chosen path,” said Krishnamurthy, adding that he and his wife are confident that their son’s passion for excellence, hard work, and dedication would have shone through in any field he chose.
Cricket was an integral part of the family’s daily life. He grew up with cricket around him. When members of the Indian national team were visiting New Zealand for matches, many would drop by for meals at their household.
Ravindra and his father would save clips of specific shots like cover drives, straight drives, pulls, cuts and more on labelled DVDs, making sure to include legends like Dravid, Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh, V.V.S. Laxman, Ian Bell, Michael Vaughan, Ross Taylor — to list just a few.
Similar DVDs with clips of bowlers like Daniel Vettori, Graeme Swann, Harbhajan Singh, and other finger spinners were recorded.
These went with Ravindra to the training centre, where he would study the plays and try to replicate them in the nets, tirelessly, for hours on end.
“I did take on the role of coaching Rachin from a young age, but it was a seamless fit because we both shared a deep interest in the game,” said Krishnamurthy. He still tries to bowl to get Ravindra out.
Krishnamurthy listed several Indian influences on Ravindra’s cricketing journey, including J. Arunkumar, Javagal Srinath, Sridharan Sriram, Syed Shahabuddin and M.S.K. Prasad. The biggest influences on his game are of course Tendulkar and Dravid, as well as Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori.
Ravindra has also played for the Hutt Hawks. Managed by his father, the Hutt Hawks is a touring club for all players in the Wellington region that regularly travels to India to play cricket with Indian clubs.
But it is New Zealand that molded him.
His heritage as an Indian immigrant in New Zealand was an added advantage. “The South Asian diaspora have formed a really integral and successful part of New Zealand society and achieved wonderful things in all parts of Kiwi life. And sport is an iconic part of New Zealand culture — to see (Rachin Ravindra) in this way is to witness a great example of an advertisement for how successful South Asians and Indians have been in New Zealand,” said Appleton.
Ravindra’s teammate and close friend, Devon Conway, is another example of this. Conway migrated to New Zealand from South Africa, and has been an integral part of Kiwi cricket.
“Devon Conway is like family to us,” said Krishnamurthy, adding that he’s like a big brother to Ravindra, along with Tom Blundell.
“This is very reflective of New Zealand society and culture in general,” said Appleton. “Today, our society is diverse and inclusive, which you can see in our cricket team too.”
Also read: ‘Greatest ODI innings’: Glen Maxwell is toast of cricket after stunning World Cup double ton
Bengaluru vs New Zealand
Much has been said about Ravindra’s “subcontinental style”, similar to other players of South Asian origin who have found firm places in teams across the world.
According to Conway, Ravindra has “typical Indian wrists”.
But in temperament, Ravindra is said to carry the same spirit as his Kiwi teammates: cool, calm and collected with a dedicated team spirit.
And, according to Reddy, this is something similar to the temperament of players Bengaluru has spawned — from Dravid and Anil Kumble to Venkatesh Prasad. There’s a tendency to put one’s head down and focus on the game, letting the bat and ball do all the talking, he said.
But the problem with Bengaluru — and India at large — is that there are a thousand Sachins and Virats and Rahuls waiting in the dugout.
New Zealand, on the other hand, are the ultimate underdog success story, consistently producing results despite a limited talent pool. And they only play cricket for a few months during summer — between October and March. It just so happened that Ravindra had the space to shine in New Zealand, where his talent and potential were nurtured.
Sunil Samachan works in IT in Brisbane, but before he moved to Australia earlier this year, he spent 12 years playing cricket in New Zealand — including for the Hutt District Cricket Club, where Ravindra played in a different league.
Facilities were far more easily and publicly available in Wellington when compared to India, and Samachan had the opportunity to play at the same level as some of the country’s top talents, including Ravindra, he said.
While in India he said he spent much more time waiting in the wings. He pointed to Conway’s example and quick rise through the ranks — playing for New Zealand three years after moving from South Africa.
“The cricket pathways in both India and New Zealand are well-structured and effective in nurturing budding talent. They share several similarities in terms of age group cricket and the progression through domestic cricket. However, there are notable differences between the two systems,” said Krishnamurthy.
India’s “vast talent pool and cricket’s omnipresence provides numerous opportunities for aspiring cricketers,” said Krishnamurthy. “And this coupled with a plethora of state-level representation creates a highly competitive environment with plenty of space for talented players to showcase their skills, but at different levels and in different capacities.”
“On the other hand, New Zealand, with a population of around 4.5-5 million, has a limited talent pool,” said Krishnamurthy. “Cricket is a summer sport, and while the opportunities are abundant, they are relatively fewer compared to India.”
The country has only six domestic sides, which represents its talent pool well, he added. “The pathway in New Zealand is clear and structured. The country’s success in international cricket also reflects the effectiveness of its system…,” he said.
Samachan remembers Ravindra as a committed, hard-working player. “He used to pretty much live in the nets,” said Samachan. “Obviously we all knew him, since he was a regular member of the under-19 squad as well. But there was no glamour around him.”
In fact, when Samachan won “best performance of the year” for the Hutt District Cricket Club in 2021, Ravindra was among those clapping for him on the sidelines.
“I tell my wife too, if I could have migrated when I was in college, at least I could have played domestic,” said Samachan, who immigrated from Kerala in 2011. “In India, we can only dream about it.”
An overnight cricket celebrity
Meanwhile, since his magical third century, Ravindra’s maternal grandfather has been inundated with calls — and selfie requests.
Balakrishna Adiga, former principal of Vijaya College, is sick of telling the media all the same stories, but is getting used to his newfound fame. “We have become celebrities overnight,” said Adiga to ThePrint, chuckling. “Wherever we go now, friends and relatives want to take selfies with us. I keep telling them that I’m only the grandfather, not the star!”
Both of Ravindra’s grandparents had watched the record-breaking innings in Chinnaswamy Stadium against Pakistan, wearing their grandson’s jersey. Adiga couldn’t attend the match against Sri Lanka because he wasn’t feeling well, but his wife, son, and daughter-in-law watched Ravindra live. Of course, Adiga watched the match on television.
It’s still only a fraction of the attention Ravindra’s been getting.
“The level of passion you see in India and Sri Lanka about New Zealand cricket is something you don’t even see in all New Zealand fans back home,” said Appleton. “It’s something that’s distinctive about cricket in South Asian culture that you don’t see to the same extent anywhere else in the world. So our cricketers probably experience more “hero-worship” when they play in South Asia than when they’re in New Zealand.”
Krishnamurthy agrees. “This isn’t a matter of being right or wrong; it’s simply a reflection of the local cricket culture,” he said.
According to Adiga, the family is concerned about Ravindra’s overnight celebrity status — the rapid rise shouldn’t be followed by a rapid fall.
“His success has come a little earlier than expected,” said Adiga. “If he maintains the same situation, it is okay. All said and done, he has made us very proud.”
Reddy is sure that Ravindra’s family will help keep his feet on the ground and that he will continue performing. “Results won’t come if you’re not prepared. This game is about doing things over and over again,” he said.
“With him, nothing has changed. Only his lifestyle will change now.”
‘Star on the rise’
Two 17-year-olds at Chinnaswamy Stadium on 9 November had never heard of Ravindra until about two weeks ago. But he was who they were most excited to see — one more than the other, who had been told he looks like Ravindra numerous times that day.
“Never heard of him before but now apparently I even look like him!” said the teenager, who skipped school to come watch the match. “Sachin-Sachin has become Rachin,” he added.
And it’s not just Bengaluru’s boys who are seeing something special in Ravindra.
Retired IT project manager Gordon Friswell was sitting in his living room in Perth, Australia, watching the cricket match in which Ravindra broke Tendulkar’s record of centuries in a World Cup. “I saw it, and thought, ‘wow! I need to go see this guy’,” said Friswell, who quickly booked tickets for the Bengaluru leg of the World Cup. “And now we’re watching a star on the rise.”
In his close circle, it’s Ravindra’s friends and family who are forwarding articles singing his praises to his parents.
Krishnamurthy, however, said, “Rather than focusing on what is being reported, we prefer to support and encourage Rachin in his pursuit of excellence in cricket, while also maintaining our commitment to our various responsibilities and interests.”
In fact, right after his record-breaking innings against Pakistan on 4 November, Reddy and Krishnamurthy didn’t even bring up the fact that Ravindra had broken none other than Tendulkar’s record. Reddy’s children texted Krishnamurthy their congratulations, but the two friends and coaches were focused on post-match analyses.
The record didn’t matter. There was no need for celebration of Rachin’s success, there was only conviction in his potential.
“He was just doing his job, but at a different, elevated platform,” said Reddy. “It was just back to business.”
(This is an updated version of the article.)
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)