Once again, Rachin Ravindra showcased his exceptional form by scoring a century against Pakistan during the 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in Bengaluru.
Kane Williamson made a return to the team after an injury, and in this match, Ravindra was tasked with opening the innings. He provided New Zealand with a strong start, partnering with Devon Conway to accumulate 68 runs.
Rachin Ravindra played exceptionally well from the beginning. He hit some great shots and didn’t let the Pakistani bowlers succeed. Kane Williamson joined him in the 12th over, and they took control of the game.
The pair batted flawlessly, creating an ideal foundation for New Zealand. They scored 180 runs together for the second wicket in just 147 balls. Ravindra reached his fifty in 51 balls and accelerated his scoring to reach a century in the next 37 balls.
As he neared the 90s, the crowd at M Chinnaswamy Stadium chanted “Rachin, Rachin.” Ravindra’s innings included 15 boundaries and a single six, amassing 108 runs from 94 balls.
Unfortunately, he was caught out on the deep square leg boundary off Mohammad Wasim’s delivery in the 36th over. Along the way, Rachin Ravindra achieved several records, and here are three of them:
#1 The first New Zealand player to score three centuries in a single ODI World Cup edition
Ravindra began the tournament impressively, scoring an unbeaten 123 runs in his ODI World Cup debut against England. He followed it up with a second century in a high-scoring match against Australia in Dharamsala.
His third century against Pakistan has made him the first player to achieve three centuries in a single ODI World Cup edition for New Zealand. Before him, Glenn Turner (in 1975), Martin Guptill (2015), and Kane Williamson (in 2019) had all scored two centuries each.
#2 The first player aged 23 or younger to achieve three centuries in the ODI World Cup
Rachin Ravindra has had a fantastic beginning to his international cricket journey. Although he made his contribution over the past two years, he has now truly established himself with outstanding displays in the current tournament.
As mentioned earlier, he has already accumulated three centuries for New Zealand in this competition.
Notably, Ravindra holds a unique distinction as the sole player to achieve three centuries in ODI World Cups while being 23 years or younger. Currently, he is 23 years and 351 days old.
#3 Second in age to accumulate over 500 runs in a single ODI World Cup edition
At the forefront of New Zealand’s batting, Rachin Ravindra has amassed an impressive total of 523 runs in just eight 2023 ODI World Cup matches.
This accomplishment came during the game against Pakistan, making him the second-youngest player to achieve the milestone in a single ODI World Cup edition.
While Rachin is currently 23 years old, the youngest to achieve this was his idol Sachin Tendulkar, who did so at 22 years and 324 days during the 1996 ODI World Cup.
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