A young all-rounder from New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra, gets a central contract
The wait is finally over for the Indian-origin young all-rounder of the New Zealand cricket team, Rachin Ravindra. Because of his success in the past year, including the ODI World Cup, where he scored tons of runs, this has earned him his first central contract. On Wednesday, the 24-year-old figures in the list of 20 cricketers offered contracts for the 2024–25 season following a breakthrough season where he finished as the fourth-leading run scorer with 578 runs. During the IPL auction, his ODI success had brought the spotlight on him, and he made his maiden appearance in the lucrative league for the Chennai Super Kings this year after being bought for Rs 1.8 crore.
The top-order batter was rewarded in January when he was named the ICC Emerging Player of the Year for 2023. In March, he became the youngest recipient of the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal.
Ravindra said receiving his first central contract was special.
He said, “Growing up, you’d see those contract lists come out each year and think it would be cool to be on that list one day, and for it to eventuate now is a pinch-myself moment.”
Rachin further added, “It’s been a really cool past 12 months playing international cricket. I’ve learned a lot, and the hunger is definitely there to keep improving and giving to the Blackcaps. It’s such a special group to be in, from players to support staff, and that’s been the most enjoyable part, to be honest.”