Rachin Ravindra, a young, promising batter from New Zealand, called the moment his name surfaced during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction “strange.” The young player was immediately targeted by the Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, and Punjab Kings during the mini-auction on Tuesday in Dubai.
Nonetheless, the all-rounder cost Rs 1.8 crore to the reigning champions. “Having a few boys around was pleasant, though it was an odd feeling. Rachin was cited as saying to New Zealand Cricket, “It’s really exciting to watch yourself on TV with paddles going up, especially when you grow up watching IPL.” CSK, the five-time champions, also signed Rachin’s teammate Daryl Mitchell for an incredible Rs 14 crore. The 24-year-old said, “Watching Daryl’s auction was special. I am so happy for him,” expressing his happiness for his countryman.
In addition, Mitchell stated that he was excited to have Rachin and Santner in the same dressing room, saying, “I grew up with Mitch (Santner) since we were about 12 years old. It will also be enjoyable now that Dev and Rachin are on the team. And once more, a lot of the Indian players—one of the best things about the IPL is that you get to hang out with some elite athletes, so I’m really excited about that.”
Mitchell has played in 20 Tests, 39 ODIs, and 56 T20Is, making him a reliable member of the Kiwi batting lineup in all formats. The Kiwi opener did not participate in the IPL in its final season. With the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2022, he played his final season. In the lavish T20 tournament, he participated in just two games and amassed 33 runs.
With an average of 69.00, the explosive batter finished as the second-most successful batsman for New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup, amassing 552 runs in 10 matches, including two hundreds and two fifties. In 56 T20Is, the all-rounder has amassed 1,069 runs for the Kiwis at an average of 24.86, along with five fifties and eight wickets. He is an all-around batsman. Rachin, on the other hand, made his breakthrough in international cricket during India’s 2023 World Cup. Regarded as one of the young talents to watch out for at the showpiece event, Rachin showed off his skill with the bat by hitting his first World Cup century in his opening game against England in the curtain-raiser.
