World Cup breakthrough star Rachin Ravindra reflects on brief cricket journey; gears up for Bangladesh Tests

New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra was the breakthrough star at the recently concluded World Cup 2023, hitting 543 runs, including three hundreds and two fifties. Though the Kiwis failed to go past the semis stage, losing to India in the final four, Rachin became a household name in the country of his origin. Ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh, starting Tuesday, Rachin reflected on his journey thus far and detailed his plans for delivering in Tests in sub-continent.

"Things have happened quite quickly, and I am very fortunate to be here right now," Rachin said ahead of the first Test in Bangladesh.

"At my age, being able to travel around the world playing cricket, playing a game you love, for a living is pretty special. [It] definitely has its ups and downs, but mostly I love every single moment," Rachin, who recently celebrated his 24th birthday, added.

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Having fared exceptionally well in the ODIs for nearly two months straight, Rachin had less time switching to the red-ball format, where, unlike in the One-Dayers, where he bats at the top, the young batter would play a different role batting down the order.

"I enjoy going back to red-ball cricket after that (ODIs) because that means your intent… you are almost looking to score, so, I mean, [it] keeps you in a good position to score," he said.

"But probably here [in Bangladesh] it depends on the conditions, what the pitch is doing; it's probably going to dial that back a little bit, not as many risks. You can still play your natural game, by understanding the surface and the situation of the game dictates you,” New Zealand’s newest star said.

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Speaking further on the same lines, Rachin said knowing how much time is there for everyone in the Tests (90 overs on each of five days), he can work on his game and try to replicate his star-studded performance in this format.

"You've got a little transition period, and you probably don't have as much time to get yourself in; but also it's Test cricket, so you actually do have a lot of time," he said.

"It's a different role for sure; it's not a new ball - I might come in and straightaway face a spinner.

"So [it's] just [about] wrapping your head around that and seeing what sort of way you can adjust your game plan and get used to facing slower bowling instead of seam up top. But the beauty of it [is that] you contribute whatever way you can for the team no matter what role it is, and hopefully, you contribute to a win,” Rachin added.

New Zealand’s squad for Bangladesh Tests –

Tim Southee (captain), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Neil Wagner