New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra bags ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023 award

New Zealand’s talented all-rounder Rachin Ravindra marked off a phenomenal 2023 season by winning the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award.

The all-rounder was one of the top young performers of the year, majorly during the ICC ODI World Cup in the same year. The Wellington-born player’s impressive performance at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he amassed 578 runs in nine appearances-featuring three centuries and two fifties-distinguished him from competitors such as Gerald Coetzee, Yashahsvi Jaiswal, and Dilshan Madushanka. These players were also recognised as some of the best young performers in the same year.

“It’s obviously a very special feeling. Whenever you get recognised by the ICC for something it is always special. Reflecting back it has been a pretty whirlwind last year and having the opportunity to play so much cricket in so many different environments has been very special,” Ravindra thanked the ICC for his award.

Additionally, Rachin’s three hundreds in the World Cup was the most by any New Zealand cricketer in a single edition of the tournament, a record that makes his numbers look ever more impressive at the young age of 24. The player took the entire cricket world by storm with his performance last year, leading to hailing him as one of the potential big names of the game. The 24-year-old matched Kane Williamson’s 2019 record for the most runs by a Kiwi batter. Ravindra also became the highest run-scorer in a debut World Cup.

Rachin’s resilience and usefulness with both the bat and the ball, already got the player into the attention of many franchise teams, with the player getting roped in by five-time Indian Premier League Champions, Chennai Super Kings. The player will be joining the likes of iconic players like MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in the upcoming season of IPL.

Batting as an opener or at No.3, Ravindra stood out as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the World Cup. Despite only making his debut in the game in Tests and T20Is in 2021, he played his first ODI just last year, which could not be guessed by his gigantic record in the format in just a single year.