Syed Shahabuddin with Rachin Ravindra (Special Arrangement) NEW DELHI: Do you still remember what happened to New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra in IPL 2024? Spin chewed the bat and spat it out. And the situation became so dire that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were forced to drop him mid-season. As they say, time is the best healer. And for Ravindra, he certainly became one. Spin, once Ravindra’s nemesis, has caused equal pain to the batsmen who have faced the Kiwis during this T20 World Cup, with his fingers doing the talking with the ball.Also See: IND vs NZ Live Score T20 World Cup 2026 Final
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Ravindra, who emerged as his team’s top 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 joint-highest wicket-taker in the edition of the tournament. A single dismissal will see Ravindra overtake Daniel Vettori as the Black Caps’ most successful run-scorer in the T20 World Cup campaign. Expanding the scale a bit, the left-arm finger spinner has 11 dismissals in 8 matches at an economy rate of 6.88, just two wickets behind the edition’s top-scoring spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Adil Rashid.
“Impact, Yuvraj Singh-like role at WC 2011”
While Ravindra’s heroics may have taken the opposition and fans by surprise, Sriram Krishnamurthy, the global head coach of CSK’s academy, is certainly not one of them. Krishnamurthy, who has worked with the 26-year-old cricketer extensively, highlighted his bowling as one of the standout aspects from the start and termed it as something that came very naturally.
Syed Shahabuddin during training session with Rachin Ravindra (Special Arrangement)
“Rachin can read the game very well. He’s not someone who bowls a lot during practice. Yet when he takes the ball, you know he’s going to be able to do some special things. Rachin has excelled with the ball in the MLC and the hundred, which is no surprise with his current performances. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has used him very well,” he told Sriramsofdia.com during an exclusive interaction.“Rachin’s every spell left an impact. One of the most remarkable aspects was the way he batted against left-handed batsmen, being a left-arm spinner in an unfavorable match, which stood out particularly in the semi-final against South Africa with David Miller dismissed. I don’t think many people would disagree that his impact and role was similar to Yuvraj’s World Cup20.Ravindra gave the edge to the New Zealand bowling attack with his smart play and quality preparation, which first showed in the opening match against Afghanistan in Chennai. The 26-year-old all-rounder was handed the ball in the 18th hope, which could backfire massively. However, Rachin kept the ball well out of the batsmen’s reach from the start and was duly rewarded by dismissing the dangerous Gulbadin Naib off his second delivery. The New Zealand cricketer kept a close eye on Ravindra Jadeja at CSK, resulting in some valuable innings.
“Hard grind in Hyderabad ahead of T20 WC 2026”
Another major factor behind Rachin’s current success is an intensive month-long camp in Hyderabad ahead of the T20 World Cup, where the all-rounder worked hard on hitting the right areas 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 fielding.“Ravindra can be deadly with the wicket, given his consistency. I encouraged the CSK team management to give him more opportunities with the ball, but he hardly got one to two overs. Santner and the New Zealand think-tank are showing a lot of faith in Ravindra’s bowling which turned out to be a game-changer,” Shahabuddin said.
Syed Shahabuddin with Rachin Ravindra (Special Arrangement)
While the fingerpinner impressed with its impressive playability, it once lacked agility and speed, which hindered its effectiveness. Former New Zealand coach Glenn Pocknall was instrumental in allowing Ravindra to play at a faster pace and deliver longer spells by developing his power. The all-rounder showed great commitment, training six hours a day.“I first saw Rachin bowling at the age of 15 and was deeply impressed by his incredible control and aura. He is very challenging to face on flat wickets as well as on the spin tracks as he can spin the ball hard and into the wicket. Former New Zealand spinner Jeetan Patel has guided him considerably and I fully expect Rachin to be a threat against India,” said Pocknall.
“Varun Chakaravarthy would pick 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 crafty use of angles to exploit the longer ends of the pitch. However, Prathiban also set his sights on New Zealand, who will play a lot of matches in Sri Lanka, where the advantage of bigger boundaries comes into play.
Syed Shahabuddin during training with Rachin Ravindra
“Jasprit Bumrah and Varun would have picked at least 15 wickets if the Indian team bowled that much in these conditions. Mishits went for sixes during the semi-final at the Wankhede. Thanks to Rachin though for doing his homework,” said Prathiban.
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Will Rachin Ravindra overtake Daniel Vettori as New Zealand’s most successful spinner in T20 World Cup history?
Ravindra revealed a desire to make life as difficult as possible for the batsman during the interaction after New Zealand booked their place in the final, something the Indian juggernaut will be wary of.
