When Chennai Super Kings got Rachin Ravindra for Rs 1.8 crore last year, even the team management members at the auction table were surprised at how easily they got him.
The New Zealand all-rounder wasn’t expected to be in the starting XI, but an injury to compatriot Devon Conway meant he was thrown into the deep end immediately, and the 24-year-old has quickly delivered for the Super Kings. The opener set the innings up in the first two matches, at a brisk strike rate of more than 200 with eye-catching strokeplay.
“I guess the whole thing about being an opener is that you try to put a bit of pressure on the bowler in the PowerPlay when it stops swinging, and I have been able to do that for two games,” said Ravindra during a media interaction.
What was more impressive about his performance was that he came into the IPL after playing Tests against Australia back home and quickly found his feet.
“It was just about trying to do what I do well in terms of training and being specific about it,” said Ravindra about his preparations. “I adjust slightly between formats in terms of my intent, whereas my positions and the balls I am trying to access are quite similar.”
Though he started his career as a lower-order bat, the left-hander’s graph rose during the ODI World Cup last year, where he scored 578 runs when he was promoted up the order.
When asked if being an opener has unlocked his potential, Ravindra said, “Yes and no. I think it’s just a lot more comfortable being at the top. But I guess during the World Cup, you get an opportunity where you play your shots, and you are like, this is maybe a part of my game.
“I took a lot of confidence from that and was able to execute some shots that I had been training but hadn’t used in a game before. So yeah, I guess, a bit of that, but I think it’s more about getting time in the middle and the confidence to do that on the big stages.”
