To now get involved with an amazing and historic franchise is extremely exciting, says Rachin Ravindra on CSK deal

Nelson: New Zealand’s rising all-rounder Rachin Ravindra said it is an extremely exciting feeling for him to be involved with an amazing and historic franchise like the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

At the auction in Dubai on Tuesday, CSK and Delhi Capitals started the bidding war for Ravindra’s services before Punjab Kings entered the fray. Eventually, CSK acquired his services for INR 1.8 crore.

“Pretty exciting as I grew up watching the IPL and to now get involved with an amazing and historic franchise is extremely exciting. Also, to be involved with a lot of Kiwi guys, with Flem (Stephen Fleming) as the head coach, along with Daz (Daryl Mitchell), Dev (Devon Conway) and Mitch (Mitchell Santner), it is an amazing space to go in,” said Ravindra in a video chat with New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

Ravindra came into limelight during the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup in India where he scored 578 runs in 10 innings, including three centuries and two fifties, to end as the fourth-highest run-getter of the competition. The left-handed batter, who also bowls left-arm spin, has also played 18 T20Is for New Zealand

“It was a strange feeling, but it was nice to have a couple of boys around me. It’s really exciting as you grow up watching the IPL, but always weird to see yourself on TV with paddles going up. Watching Daryl’s auction was special, I am so happy for him and he’s deserving of everything he’s got,” he added.

Ravindra also thinks IPL will play a huge role in him learning the tricks of the trade from the best in the business. “It’s going to be massive (from a development perspective) and not just from a conditions standpoint. Playing in India and growing your game in different formats is done a lot these days.”

“Apart from that, rubbing shoulders with some world-class players like Dhoni, Jadeja, Flem (Stephen Fleming) and then Mike Hussey as batting coach, you compile all of that and go in with growth mindset, whenever you are playing games of cricket and you can take a lot out of it.”

–IANS