Big game hunting: The true extent of Ravindra's early-career ICC event dominance

By Phil Prior

Rachin Ravindra walked out to the middle on October 5, 2023, after teammate Will Young was removed for a golden duck.

Aiming to defend 282, England had their tails up and Sam Curran still had five to come in what was his first over.

That was the scenario confronting Ravindra in his first ever ICC Men's Cricket World Cup innings – an objectively daunting proposition for even the most promising of cricket prodigies.

But 35 overs later, the Wellington product had made the most emphatic of arrivals.

Ravindra blasted an unbeaten 123* from 96 balls, steering the Black Caps to a comfortable nine-wicket win alongside Devon Conway, in an innings that would prove to be as impressive as it was instructive. Given he also contributed with the ball in the first innings, taking one wicket and bowling 10 overs, Ravindra did more than enough to earn Player of the Match honours.

That was just his 13th One Day International, ninth innings and first century in the format.

He would go on to reach three figures two other times in the World Cup in India, along with two additional fifties, averaging 64 in his first ICC tournament as a 23-year-old.

Ravindra was born for the big stage, so it’s come as no surprise that his World Cup form has carried over to the Champions Trophy 2025.

In four innings, the 25-year-old has scored 251 total runs at a strike rate of 106, averaging 62.75. He’s tonned up twice, including a 108 off 101 balls in the semi-final against South Africa.

In what remains a young international career, Ravindra averages 63.76 with the bat in ICC events, scoring at faster than a run-a-ball (106 strike rate).

So come the Champions Trophy Final in Dubai, you can bet he’ll be big game hunting once again; it appears to be unmistakingly in his DNA.

Kane Williamson spent nearly two hours at the crease with Ravindra in the Black Caps’ successful semi-final. The pair put on 164 for the second wicket, as New Zealand set an imposing 362/6 from their 50 overs – a mark the Proteas would fall 50 runs shy of.

The Kiwi veteran was waxing lyrical about his ‘incredibly special’ compatriot post-game, enjoying the best seat in the house for the Ravindra show.

“It's always great to bat with him,” Williamson said.

“He goes out and he puts the team first and he plays with that freedom. He's so gifted, really, really confident, clear in what he's trying to do. We've seen it on so many occasions, in big tournaments where he stood up and shone, and we've seen it here again in this one.

“Hopefully he can continue that moving forward into this next match. But a special talent, not only that but contribution with the ball too.

“We missed him while he had his little injury for a while there but just took a couple of weeks off and came back and is batting beautifully – great to watch.”

India is all-too aware of Ravindra’s big stage threat. The world’s top-ranked ODI batter, Shubman Gill, can still recall moments of his rival’s debut World Cup in 2023.

“I remember seeing him,” he reminisced in the lead-up to Sunday’s Champions Trophy decider in Dubai.

“They were in the other group, but I remember watching some of his highlights. He's a very dangerous batsman at the top and we'll try to take his wicket as early as possible for us and if we are able to do that, I think we'll be right in the game.”

Dubai International Stadium has proven to be a bowling-friendly deck, placing runs at an even higher premium in the Final.

But given Ravindra’s additional talent as a left arm orthodox, he has a multi-faceted role to play for New Zealand, who will look to end a 25-year Men’s ICC white ball tournament drought.

The stakes and pressure, in equal parts, are higher in a winner-takes-all Final. But the moment, whether with the bat or ball, certainly won’t be too big for Rachin Ravindra.