Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has been in awe of New Zealand allrounder Rachin Ravindra’s batting skills as the Champions Trophy 2025 final looms as well. Shastri also said that the youngster’s stunning abilities are reflected by the way he has been scoring hundreds for fun in the ICC ODI tournaments as well.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, he said, “I just like the way he moves in the crease. There’s an element of fluency, which is fabulous to see. He’s either forward, he’s back, he’ll cut, he’ll sweep it, play the quicks well and he’s got a very good temperament. You don’t get hundreds in big tournaments like this just like that. You’ve got to have something up your sleeve and I think he’s immensely talented.”

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“He’s very stable and there’s an element of calmness, a no-nonsense element about him the way he goes about his job. He’s like a saint, a sage, just sitting, meditating. Lot of people look at the big shots, I look at the way he moves in the crease. There’s an element of fluency. Joe Root when he’s batting at his best. He’s forward, back. Kohli (as well). When people move in the crease, the footwork is sound,” he again shared.

Ravi Shastri shared captaincy has elevated Mitchell Santner’s game a lot and observed him as a good reader of situations as well.

Shastri added: “He’s an intelligent man. And I think this captaincy suits him. It just adds that edge to him as a batter, as a bowler, as a cricketer. So I think it’s a smart move by New Zealand opting for that and just the way he goes about his job, like I said, he’s a good reader of the game, is an intelligent bloke and should be there for some time for New Zealand.”