[World Cup 2023] “I’m 100% Kiwi..”: Rachin Ravindra On His Indian Roots

New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra played another fine knock in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023 in a match against Australia on Saturday. Rachin played a sensational knock of 116 runs off 89 balls and set the platform right for the Kiwis to chase down the target of 389 runs but despite a valiant effort from Jimmy Neesham at the end, the Australians eventually emerged on top.

Rachin Ravindra Opened Up On His Indian Roots

After the game, during the press conference, Rachin wasn’t just asked about his performance in the middle but also how he received support from the fans and his ‘Indian roots’.

During the press conference, Rachin was asked about the pressure of performing in India because of his Indian roots. Responding to this, he said:

“Oh, well, I think, I’ve been asked this question a lot, but I guess I’m 100% Kiwi and I’m very proud of my Indian heritage. But I guess it’s proud to be able to do it in the country where my parents were born and where they grew up and where a lot of my family is. But I think, obviously the conditions, it’s good for batting and being able to come to India previously on tours and trying to not perfect my game but I try get better. I guess that that helps in a way,” 

Ravindra on Crowd Support In Dharamsala

Further, Rachin was also asked about the support he received from the crowd in Dharamsala, considering it was a ‘neutral venue’ for the Kiwis. Responding to this, he said:

“Yeah, I think this was probably one of the best crowds we’ve played in India and having that sort of fanfare and the response, like how they responded to the game was pretty special, I think. As a kid you always dream of the crowd chanting your name and it was cool to see them do that on multiple occasions even when Aussie were batting and when Nish [Neesham] did his thing at the end. So, I think it’s always special, you sort of soak in those moments and hopefully we never really take them for granted,”

Despite the defeat, the New Zealand cricket team is looking in a good state to qualify for the Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-finals.