New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has added that international cricket still has the final say over the franchise cricket. The numerous franchise-based T20 leagues around the globe have had a great impact on the way cricket is perceived, and its growth has also forced international cricket to work around it as well. Meanwhile, several senior players like Trent Boult and Kane Williamson have opted out of the central contract list for the luxuries of a lenient cricketing schedule and lucrative finances as well.
On the other hand, Ravindra, made it to the contract list for the first time as he is considered an all-format player, but he is also playing in the franchise league. He played for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) and is currently playing for the Washington Freedom in the 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) as well.
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“I can only talk for my situation. I’m fully committed to playing for New Zealand at this current stage of time. You never know what the situation will look like in the future. As of right now, I can only speak for what’s happening now. For me, I’m committed to playing for New Zealand and whatever comes up in between, I’ll pick up,” Ravindra told NZ Herald. “There’s still a lot of context for international cricket, there’s a lot of context for world tournaments [and] World Cups. The World Test Championship puts emphasis on every test match you play. For a lot of people, test match cricket is still the pinnacle. I’m not sure if that’s going to die out. But as of right now, everyone still values [international cricket] ahead of the franchise stuff.”
However, he has already expressed a desire to play in the 2025 SA20 to prolong his T20 career.
“They’re world-class players, being able to take everything I can from them has been great. Trav is in the form of his life the last two years, he hasn’t put a foot wrong. Smudger [Smith] is one of the greatest players of all time. It’s great to be able to pick their brains and see how they go about their business. Having Punter [Ponting] as coach too, another guy who’s conquered it all, teaches you that competitive winning mindset. I’ve taken a lot from it so far,” Rachin Ravindra told NZ Herald.
