Rachin Ravindra revealed his proud connection with Indian roots after his sensational hundred against England in the ICC World Cup 2023 opener on Thursday, October 5. New Zealand beat champions England at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi and Rachin Ravindra bagged Player of the Match award for his 123* off 82 balls knock.
The 23-year-old batting all-rounder batted in the no.3 position in the absence of captain Kane Williamson and smashed his maiden ODI hundred in his very first World Cup game. His parents were born in India and his grandparents live in Bengaluru. Rachin is named after two Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid and hailed both cricketers after his special knock in Ahmedabad.
Rachin revealed the influence Sachin and Rahul have on his parents and added that he idolises the former.
"I think those two (Dravid and Tendulkar) are pretty special cricketers," Rachin said after the England game. "Obviously, I've heard a lot of stories and watched a lot of footage. I guess the influence from my parents and my dad, sort of, and the old-school Indian cricketers was pretty cool. Being able to watch a lot of their highlights and stuff… obviously, I idolise Sachin Tendulkar, I think a lot of people do. I think the way he batted, his technique was beautiful to watch."
Ravindra also talked about the importance of his maiden international century and said that a hundred on Indian soil is a special moment. Rachin shared his family connection whenever he visits his grandparents in Bengaluru and added that it is 'cool' to have Indian roots.
"A hundred is always special, but I guess in terms of being able to perform in India is pretty cool. I think, like you said, it's cool to have Indian roots. I have a sense of family connection whenever I'm in Bangalore. Being able to see my grandparents and stuff, so yeah, it's pretty cool," Ravindra added.
