‘ Massive’: Rising star relishes India experience
Revved- up Ravindra ready for the ultimate education for a cricketer
His last trip to India was life- changing and Rachin Ravindra hopes the next can be similarly transformative for his career.
The Black Caps opener and his teammates earlier this week took a break from dispatching Bangladesh to watch the Indian Premier League auction, in which Ravindra parlayed his World Cup heroics into a $ 350,000 payday.
He will in March join coach Stephen Fleming at the Chennai Super Kings and be welcomed by a few more familiar faces, with retained players Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner joining the newly- purchased Daryl Mitchell.
But while such a strong Kiwi flavour will inevitably ease the transition into franchise cricket, Ravindra is most eager to pick the brains of the game’s greats.
The defending champions are led by India’s World Cup- winning captain MS Dhoni, now 42 and still adding to his franchise- leading tally of 220 matches.
Ravindra’s left- arm orthodox, meanwhile, will no doubt be buoyed by time in the nets with fellow exponent Ravindra Jadeja, while his batting will come under the tutelage of Australian legend Mike Hussey.
It all adds up to an invaluable twomonth cricketing education for the 24- year- old, bolstering what for now is a thin resume in the shortest format.
“It’ll be massive,” Ravindra said. “Not just being able to play in India, growing your game in different conditions, playing a format which is played a lot these days, but also rubbing shoulders with greats of the game.
“You’ve got all those amazing heads in there and you’re just mixing with them and learning what you can, and facilities are great, too. All that compiles and you go there with a growth mindset.
“Regardless of whether you play or win games, you’re still taking a lot out of it.”
Ravindra could, indeed, be set for some time on the sidelines; Santner, a more experienced spinning allrounder, played only three games for Chennai last season. Or, as happened in front of adoring crowds who chanted his name at the World Cup, Ravindra could blaze his way into the starting side.
An auction price lower than many had expected would suggest the first scenario, as would a T20 record of one half- century in 45 domestic innings and a high score of 26 from 16 international knocks.
But it still shapes as an ideal introduction to a league whose power is only growing and, based on his rapid rise to date, Ravindra’s millions will surely follow.
“It was a strange feeling,” he said of the auction process. “It’s always weird to see yourself on TV and people putting up their paddles and stuff. But it was nice to have a lot of boys around me, guys I’ve spent a lot of time with in recent years.
“Being involved with a lot of Kiwi guys, I couldn’t have asked for a better spot to end up. It’s an amazing place to go to, from what I’ve heard.
“You grow up watching the IPL and to be involved in such an amazing and storied franchise is extremely exciting.”
First, though, Ravindra and the Black Caps are targeting a sweep of Bangladesh during the series’ finale in Napier today. He will then sit out the T20 series, a surprising omission from the squad, before spending the rest of the home summer working to cement his spot in all formats.
“I’m not a massive goal- setter,” he said. “I prefer to stay with what I like to do and my processes, work hard and focus on what I need to improve. I think selection and everything will come as a byproduct of that.
“There are a lot of great players in front of me in terms of Black Caps teams. We all love to play for New Zealand, so whatever opportunity I get, hopefully I’ll make use of it.”