Former India captain Anil Kumble has showered praise on New Zealand’s young batting sensation Rachin Ravindra, stating he performs like Yuvraj Singh. Ravindra played a magnificent 96-ball 123 in his debut World Cup match against England as the Kiwis went on to win by nine wickets on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Anil Kumble said that it was a special innings in his very first game in the marquee event. The 52-year-old also said that the youngster did remind him of a young Yuvraj when he was in full flow. Kumble also labelled Ravindra’s knock as very elegant and wonderful.
“We saw what he’s capable of in that warm-up game (against Pakistan) when he opened the batting. But this was very special, you know, in his World Cup debut against the defending champions to back the way he did. This was my first sort of treat of Rachin Ravindra. He looks a bit like Yuvraj Singh, a young Yuvraj Singh in his flow. Very elegant. So wonderful,” Anil Kumble told ESPNcricinfo.
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New Zealand stand-in skipper Tom Latham won the toss and invited England to bat first. Matt Henry claimed a three-wicket haul as New Zealand restricted England to 282 in 50 overs., with Joe Root amassing 77 off 86 deliveries.
In a stupendous display of batting class, New Zealand chased down the target in just 36.2 overs. Despite opener Will Young being dismissed for a golden duck, Devon Conway, and Ravindra spearheaded the Kiwis’ innings, with an unbeaten 273-run stand, the fourth-highest World Cup partnership.
Conway scored the first century of the tournament from just 83 balls. The veteran opener amassed 152* off 121 balls, including 19 boundaries and three maximums. Ravindra, on the other hand, delivered an exceptional performance against England and went on to win the Player of the Match award.
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Kumble’s comparison of Ravindra to Yuvraj is a high compliment. Yuvraj was one of the most destructive batsmen in the world during his prime, and he was known for his ability to score runs at a rapid pace. Ravindra has shown glimpses of similar potential in his early ODI career, and it will be interesting to see how he develops in the years to come.
