- Wednesday, May 08, 2024
Ravindra, named after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, has hit three centuries in his debut World Cup so far.
By: Shubham Ghosh
NEW ZEALAND batting all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, who has been a sensation in the ongoing cricket World Cup in India, visited his grandparents’ house in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru after his team defeated Sri Lanka in its final league match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the same city on Thursday (9) to virtually book a semi-final spot.
In a video that surfaced on social media, Ravindra was seen with his grandmother who seemed to do the ‘nazar utrana’ (warding off the evil eye) — a ritual — for the batter. The 23-year-old has slammed three hundreds in his debut World Cup to emerge as a new star in international cricket. Ravindra, whose name Rachin is a combination of Indian cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, is currently the highest run-getter in the tournament, amassing 565 in nine games at an average of 70 plus.
Posting the video on social media X, Ravindra said, “Blessed to have such an amazing family. Grandparents are angels whose memories and blessings stay with us forever.” He also mentioned “Jai Shree Ram”.
जय श्री राम 🕉
Blessed to have such an amazing family. Grandparents are angels whose memories and blessings stay with us forever. pic.twitter.com/haX8Y54Sfm— Rachin Ravindra (@RachinRavindra_) November 10, 2023
Ravindra, who is of Indian origin and has roots in Bengaluru, spoke about his journey of breaking into the national team of New Zealand and living his childhood dream as the crowd at the Bengaluru venue chanted his name. Ravindra has also bettered Tendulkar’s record of scoring most number of hundreds at the World Cup.
“It’s a pretty surreal feeling. Grateful for the support, especially playing in Bangalore. The crowd chanting my name is something I will never take for granted. Dreamt of it as a child. Very happy to be here, lucky enough it worked out,” Ravindra told Star Sports.
For Ravindra, India is proving to be a memorable place. In 2021, he had held a catch in a Test match in Mumbai that allowed New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel to take all 10 wickets in an innings as only the third bowler in the history of the long format.
