Indian-origin New Zealand player Rachin Ravindra turning heads | Cricket News – Times of India

Allrounder named Rachin after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar
When Ravi Krishnamurthy, a software engineer, migrated to New Zealand from Bangalore in the early 90s, little did he expect that one day his son would go on to play big-league cricket for the Black Caps.
Meet 22-year-old Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand’s latest Indian-origin cricketer who was drafted in the Kiwi T20 side for the series against India after skipper Kane Williamson pulled out in order to concentrate on the Test series. A hard-hitting left-hand middle-order bat and miserly left-arm orthodox bowler, Rachin was named after two of India’s biggest cricketing legends – Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.
“Those two (Rahul and Sachin) are two amazing players – two of the greatest cricketers of all-time. I guess I’m embarking on my own journey, I’m my own man, so it’s awesome to take inspiration from those two,” Rachin recently told a New Zealand website.
Rachin joined the likes of Dipak Patel, Ish Sodhi, Jeetan Patel, Jeet Raval, Ronnie Hira and Taurn Nethula as Indian-origin cricketers to play for New Zealand. For Rachin, it was a “special feeling” to play against India in their own backyard and although he is a “Kiwi at heart, he is proud of his Indian heritage”.
“It’s been a pretty surreal experience so far. To see how cricket-mad everyone is and how much the fans love the game – especially the first T20, was very special,” the youngster said after the first T20 International in Jaipur.
Rachin’s father was a cricketer and played the sport in Bangalore. He moved to Wellington and founded the Hutt Hawks Club. His father is a good friend of Javagal Srinath and the family is still in touch with the former Indian cricketer. With the Hutt Hawks, Rachin has been annually coming to India during the New Zealand winters since 2011 to play long form cricket across Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and Anantpur. Playing in India helped Rachin develop an all-round game.
Rachin made his international debut against Bangladesh earlier this year in a five-match T20I series, which New Zealand eventually lost 2-3. He was also part of the New Zealand squad that took on India in the World Test Championship final in June, but didn’t make it to the playing XI.
During the ongoing tour, Rachin hopes to interact with Rahul Dravid, the current India head coach, and Ravichandran Ashwin, and get some tips from two stalwarts of the game. “Dravid is an absolute legend of the game. Obviously, I would love to interact with him a bit more during this series. So if I can pick his brains, it would be amazing.
“Ashwin is a world-class spinner. He has got an incredible record and he has been around for a long time. His variations are fantastic. I would love to pick his brains too…any time.”