New Delhi: Do you remember what happened to New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra in IPL 2024? Spin chewed up his bat and spit it out. The situation became so dire that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were forced to drop him midway through the season. As they say, time is the best healer. For Ravindra, it has certainly become one of those. Spin, once Ravindra’s nemesis, caused the same pain to the batsmen who faced the New Zealanders during the T20 World Cup, with his fingers doing all the talking with the ball.See also: IND vs NZ Live Score T20 World Cup 2026 Final
Ravindra emerged as the team’s top wicket-taker (11) in this tournament, but now he sees things differently. While his batting pedigree initially raised eyebrows, two more dismissals in the final against India would be enough to make him New Zealand’s joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Just one dismissal would see Ravindra surpass Daniel Vettori as the Black Caps’ most successful spinner in the T20 World Cup campaign. If we widen the scope a bit, the left-arm finger spinner has been dismissed 11 times in 8 games at an economy rate of 6.88, just two wickets behind Varun Chakaravarthy and Adil Rashid, the most successful spinners in that edition.
“Impact, role similar to Yuvraj Singh in 2011 World Cup”
While Ravindra’s heroics may have surprised the opposition and fans, CSK Academy global head coach Sriram Krishnamurthy is certainly not one of them. Krishnamurthy, who has worked extensively with the 26-year-old cricketer, highlighted his bowling as one of the most outstanding aspects from the outset, saying it came very naturally.
Syed Shahabuddin training with Rachin Ravindra (special arrangement)
“Rachin is very good at reading the game. He’s not the kind of guy who bowls a lot in training. But, when he gets the ball, you know he’s capable of doing something special. Lacchin’s ability with the ball in the MLC and Centuries has been excellent, which makes his current performance no surprise. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner Used him well,” Sriram said in an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.“Rachin has made an impact every time he has played. One of the most noteworthy aspects is the way he bowled a left-handed batsman as a left-handed batsman in a bad match, especially in the semi-final against South Africa when David Miller was dismissed. I don’t think many would disagree that his impact and role is similar to that of Yuvraj Singh in the 2011 World Cup,” he added.Ravindra has given the New Zealand bowling attack an edge with his astute play and quality preparation, which first showed in the opener against Afghanistan in Chennai. The 26-year-old all-rounder was handed the ball in the 18th over, which could have backfired massively. However, Lachin got his due by keeping the ball well out of the batsmen’s reach from the start and removing dangerman Gulbadin Naib on the second delivery. The New Zealand cricketer got valuable input by observing Ravindra Jadeja closely at CSK.
“Struggling in Hyderabad ahead of 2026 T20 World Cup”
Another important factor in Rachin’s success so far is the intense month-long training session in Hyderabad ahead of the T20 World Cup, in which the all-rounder worked extensively to hit the right areas and variations. The New Zealand cricketer was trained under former Andhra Pradesh captain Syed Shahabuddin, who urged him to follow the pitch and bowl from stump to stump.“Given Ravindra’s consistency, he could be lethal with the wicket. 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 have shown immense faith in Ravindra’s bowling, which has proven to be a game-changer,” Shahabuddin shared.
Syed Shahabuddin and Rachin Ravindra (Special arrangement)
While the fingertip player impressed with his high-impact gameplay, he once lacked agility and speed, which hampered efficiency. Former New Zealand coach Glenn Pocknall played a key role in helping Ravindra bowl at a faster pace and provide longer innings by developing strength. The all-rounder showed great dedication and trained for six hours every day.“I first saw Rachin bowling when I was 15 years old and I was impressed by his incredible control and aura. It was very challenging to face him on flat wickets and on turning tracks because he could spin the ball hard and get into the wickets. Former New Zealand spinner Jeetan Patel has coached him extensively and I fully expect Lachin to be a threat to India. ” shared Pocknall.
“Varun Chakaravarthy will pick 15 wickets when playing in Sri Lanka”
Chakravarthy’s personal coach AC Prathiban praised Ravindra’s tactical astuteness in highlighting the batsmen’s lack of space and clever use of angles to exploit the longer end of the ground. However, Pratiban also focused on New Zealand playing a lot of matches in Sri Lanka, where they played to greater boundary advantage.
Syed Shahabuddin trains with Rachin Ravindra
“If India had bowled as many overs in this situation, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun would have picked at least 15 wickets. Mishtz hit a six in the semi-final at Wankhede. However, credit goes to the homework done by Lachin,” Pratiban said.In an interaction after New Zealand secured their berth in the final, Ravindra revealed that he wants to make life as difficult as possible for the batsmen and the Indian powerhouse will be very wary of this.
