NEW DELHI: Do you still remember what happened to New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra in IPL 2024? Spin chewed up his batting and spat it out. And the situation became so serious that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were forced to drop him mid-season.
As they say, time is the best healer. And for Ravindra, he has surely become one.
Spin, once Ravindra’s arch-nemesis, has inflicted the same pain on the batsmen who have stepped up to face the Kiwi during this T20 World Cup, with his fingers doing the talking with the ball.
See also: IND vs NZ Live Score T20 World Cup 2026 Final
Ravindra, who emerged as his team’s highest wicket-taker (11) in this edition, now sees things differently. While his batting pedigree initially dominated the limelight, two more dismissals in the final against India will be enough to make him New Zealand’s highest wicket-taker in an edition of the tournament.
A single dismissal will result in Ravindra overtaking Daniel Vettori as the Black Caps’ most successful player in a T20 World Cup campaign.
If we scale up a bit, the left-arm spinner has accounted for 11 dismissals in 8 matches with an economy rate of 6.88, trailing the edition’s most successful spinners, Varun Chakaravarthy and Adil Rashid, by just two wickets.
‘Impact, role similar to Yuvraj Singh in WC 2011’
While Ravindra’s heroics may have taken the opposition and fans by surprise, Sriram Krishnamurthy, the global head coach of the CSK academy, is certainly not one of them. Krishnamurthy, who has worked extensively with the 26-year-old cricketer, highlighted his bowling as one of the highlights right from the start, calling it something that came very naturally.
“Rachin is very good at reading the game. He is not someone who bowls much during practice sessions. However, when he takes the ball, you know he will be able to do some special things. Rachin has excelled with the ball in the MLC and the Hundred, which makes his current performances no surprise. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has used him very well,” Sriram said during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.
“Every step by Rachin has left an impact. One of the most notable aspects has been the way he has hit left-handed batsmen, being a left-handed spinner in an unfavorable matchup, which was especially highlighted in the semi-final against South Africa with the dismissal of David Miller. I don’t think many people would disagree that his impact and role has been similar to that of Yuvraj Singh in the 2011 World Cup,” he added.
Ravindra has brought an edge to New Zealand’s bowling attack, with his astute play and quality preparation, which was first reflected in the first match against Afghanistan in Chennai. The 26-year-old all-rounder received the ball in the 18th minute, which could have backfired. However, Rachin kept the ball out of the batsmen’s reach early on and was duly rewarded with the dismissal of the dangerous Gulbadin Naib on his second delivery. The New Zealand cricketer has closely watched Ravindra Jadeja at CSK, providing valuable inputs.
Advertisement
‘Hard wheel in Hyderabad before T20 WC 2026’
Another important factor behind Rachin’s current success is an intense month-long camp in Hyderabad ahead of the T20 World Cup, where the all-rounder worked hard to hit the right zones and variations. The New Zealand cricketer trained under former Andhra Pradesh captain Syed Shahabuddin, who urged him to bowl from stump to stump and according to locations on the field.
“Ravindra can be lethal with the help of the wicket, considering his consistency. I had encouraged the CSK team management to give him more chances with the ball, but he barely got one or two overs. Santner and the New Zealand think tank are showing great faith in Ravindra’s bowling, which has proven to be a game-changer,” shared Shahabuddin.
While the player has impressed with his high-impact play, he once lacked agility and speed, which hampered effectiveness. Former New Zealand coach Glenn Pocknall played a key role in allowing Ravindra to bowl at a faster pace and bowl longer spells by developing his strength. The all-rounder showed great dedication and trained six hours a day.
“I saw Rachin bowl for the first time at the age of 15 and was deeply impressed by his incredible control and aura. He is very difficult to face on flat wickets as well as on spinner tracks because he can spin the ball hard and inside the wicket. Former New Zealand spinner Jeetan Patel has mentored him extensively and I expect Rachin to pose a threat against India,” shared Pocknall.
Advertisement
‘Varun Chakaravarthy would have picked 15 wickets playing in Sri Lanka’
Chakaravarthy’s personal coach AC Prathiban praised Ravindra’s tactical astuteness, highlighting the lack of space for the batsmen as well as the astute use of angles to exploit the longer ends of the wicket. However, Prathiban also focused on New Zealand playing many matches in Sri Lanka, where the advantage of larger borders comes into play.
“Jasprit Bumrah and Varun would have picked at least 15 wickets if the Indian team had bowled that many in those conditions. Mishits was for six during the semi-final at Wankhede. However, credit must be given to Rachin for doing his homework,” Prathiban said.
Advertisement
129264686
Ravindra revealed his desire to make the batsman’s life as difficult as possible during an interaction after New Zealand secured a place in the final, something the Indian giant will be wary of.