#RACHIN_RAVINDRA

[tsportsday]

Rachin Ravindra has been New Zealand's breakout star in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He became the player with the most runs scored in a debut World Cup. His short but extraordinary stint in the New Zealand side is sure to earn him a big payout at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Auction. Rachin has scored 676 runs in One Day Internationals at an average of 45.11. His strike rate of 107.72 makes this even more impressive. He also has 17 ODI wickets to his name. Starting his international career batting in the lower order, Ravindra has earned his spot at the top of the order and can now be seen opening the innings regularly in international cricket.Surprising the worldRachin Ravindra spent a lot of his childhood flying in and out of India because of his father's Indian origin. His father's association with club cricket had him interested in the sport from a young age. It could be a combination of these two factors that saw him perform exceptionally on Indian pitches during the World Cup.Ravindra was not a part of the initial squad selected for the World Cup. His performances against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh left a lot to be desired. He was seen as a youngster with potential who was still not ready for the big stage. However, an injury to Michael Bracewell saw him make the squad as a replacementHis impact in the World Cup was instant. He was part of a match-winning partnership with Devon Conway that saw him emerge as the man of the match. There was no looking back for the youngster after that. He scored 578 runs and was the fourth-highest scorer at the 2023 ODI World Cup. He even bowled more than 65 overs for his side and picked up 5 wickets. His ability to contain the scoring in the middle overs made him a valuable asset for the side.T20I recordRachin Ravindra has played 18 T20Is and scored just 145 runs so far. His bowling record is a little better, having picked up 11 wickets at an average of 22.45. It is still early days for him in this format, and he is yet to prove himself. If his World Cup performance is anything to go by, Ravindra loves announcing himself on the big stage. He will be keen to get an opportunity to make the playing XI of any team in the IPL.Left-arm finger spinners are particularly in demand on Indian pitches where the ball grips the surface. Teams like Chennai Super Kings, which have home venues where the pitch offers turn, will benefit from having Ravindra in their ranks.Youth factorAnother factor working in Ravindra's favour is that he is just 24 years old. He still has a lot to learn but he has time on his side. Franchises that have an eye on the Mega Auction in the upcoming season will want to retain Ravindra for the long run.Hence, teams that are rebuilding their squad such as the Kolkata Knight Riders will also have their eye on Ravindra.Teams that could bid for Rachin RavindraSunrisers Hyderabad will benefit from having a backup opener. They struggled with their openers last season. Neither Mayank Agarwal nor Abhishek Sharma was able to make an impact in the initial overs. Ravindra opening the innings with Agarwal could solve this problem in IPL 17.Rajasthan Royals have a stellar batting and bowling lineup for IPL 17, but they will benefit from having a good all-rounder to allow more flexibility in team selection. Ravichandran Ashwin is a strong all-rounder, but he brings the ball into the right-hander. Ravindra will take the ball away from the right-handers, making him a handy option in the middle overs.Ravindra's presence in the Royal Challengers Bangalore can allow Virat Kohli to drop down the order. It will also compensate for the loss of Wanindu Hasaranga, who was a potent spin option for the team last season.Topics mentioned in this article

[tsportsday]

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is known for producing new stars with every edition. Team analysts spend countless hours working out the perfect players to form a well-rounded team each season. This results in many interesting bidding wars over unexpected players, considering their ability to balance out any squad. The IPL 2024 auction is sure to see more such tussles among the teams. Teams will be looking to invest in the future and bring younger players into their fold. The mini-auction gives them the perfect opportunity to do so. They can go for some lesser-fancied names and see if they want to build a team around them ahead of the mega auction in future.Here are five dark horses who could steal the spotlight in the upcoming auction:David WilleyAfter announcing his retirement from international cricket, English pacer David Willey is all set to shift his focus to franchise cricket. Though disputes with the board caused Willey's early retirement from the England fold, he still has a lot of cricket left in him.Willey's consistent bowling was one of the only bright sparks in England's below-par 2023 ODI World Cup campaign. The left-arm fast bowler has 51 T20I and six IPL wickets to his name. But he has been relatively economical in his 11 IPL matches so far, going for just 7.56 an over. He will be an asset for sides looking for some variation in their pace attack.Daryl MitchellNew Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell has shown how much he loves playing in subcontinent conditions during the Kiwis' 2023 ODI World Cup campaign. A middle-order batter who isn't afraid to go after the bowling from the start, Mitchell is especially lethal against spinners. His role in the New Zealand team is as an anchor who comes down the order and stops a possible collapse. This makes him a good fit for a tournament like the IPL where the top-order batters play short but explosive innings.Daryl Mitchell can also be a backup bowler which gives the team he plays for the flexibility to pick an additional specialist batter or bowler.Rachin RavindraYoung Rachin Ravindra made a tremendous impact in his debut World Cup, becoming New Zealand's top-scorer in the competition. He can open the innings, as well as play at the No. 3 position. Ravindra is also an effective slow left-arm spinner. He can take the ball away from the right-handers. This skill will also be highly valued in Indian conditions where the ball tends to grip and turn. Ravindra has scored 767 ODI runs at an average of 45.11.Dilshan MadushankaDilshan Madushanka spearheaded the Sri Lankan attack at the 2023 ODI World Cup. At 23, Madushanka has 31 ODI and 12 T20I wickets to his name. Madushanka is particularly effective at varying his pace. His natural bowling angle takes the ball away from a right-handed batter, making it difficult to hit him. He also has a well-disguised bouncer that can take batters by surprise. Madushanka will be an enticing option for teams looking for a young pacer. He might start a bidding war among the teams.Azmatullah OmarzaiAfghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai was one of the youngsters who impressed during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He has a batting average of 44.54 in 16 ODI innings he has played so far. He has also picked up 13 wickets with an economy rate of 5.68.A middle-order batter who can bowl with a new ball as well as with an older one, Omarzai's skill set makes him ideal for T20 cricket. His unbeaten innings of 97 against South Africa was the cherry on top of an extraordinary campaign where he averaged above 70 at a strike rate of 97.78. Omarzai can also make the new ball swing. Teams with aging players in their ranks could target Azmatullah to infuse some young blood into their squad.Topics mentioned in this article

[tsportsday]

As the anticipation builds for the IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai on December 19, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) find themselves in a position to fortify their already strong squad for the upcoming season. A total of 333 players will go under the hammer during the mini-auction in Dubai. Yet the challenge for PBKS would be to find eight players, including two from overseas, to complete their 25-member squad. After letting go of Shahrukh Khan, who was bought for a whopping Rs 9 crore last year, PBKS currently sit with Rs 29.1 crore in their purse. Sri Lanka's Bhanuka Rajapaksa was the other notable player released from the PBKS squad along with Raj Bawa, Baltej Dhanda and Mohit Rathee.Among the departures, the release of Shahrukh Khan raised eyebrows. Khan, a proven lower-order Indian batter, contributed in the previous season for PBKS in the limited opportunities he got. The decision to release him might be a strategic move, potentially aimed at reacquiring his services at a more economical price. Whether this gamble proves advantageous or not remains to be seen.IPL 2024 auction: Players retained by PBKSShikhar DhawanJonny BairstowAtharva TaideHarpreet SinghShivam SinghArshdeep SinghHarpreet BrarKagiso RabadaNathan EllisRahul ChaharVidwath KaverappaLiam LivingstoneRishi DhawanSam CurranSikandar RazaJitesh SharmaPrabhsimran SinghPBKS strategy for IPL 2024 auctionCurrently, PBKS have retained 17 players, including six from overseas, forming a foundation for their squad. Shikhar Dhawan, a seasoned campaigner, and Jonny Bairstow, an adept top-order striker, are likely to spearhead the batting line-up, possibly opening alongside each other. PBKS top-order looks sorted with the talented Prabhsimran Singh also in the mix.Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran are both proven finishers. So acquiring an Indian batter who could complement Livingstone and Curran in the middle order would be one of the primary objectives for PBKS. Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma is also a proven performer with the willow and behind the wickets.In terms of bowling, the squad features quality spinners in Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar. However, Chahar's tendency to leak runs under the lights might raise concerns. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh and Rishi Dhawan are the Indian pacers who could feature in the playing XI regularly alongside Kagiso Rabada. However, with the IPL being a lengthy tournament, PBKS will look to reinforce their bench strength at the auctions that offer options for team combinations throughout the tournament.David Willey or Chris Woakes could prove to be valuable assets for PBKS if bought at the auction. Both English players are capable of contributing effectively with bat and ball and can bowl in the powerplay overs which could spare overs for Arshdeep, Rabada or Sam Curran at the death.PBKS would also have their eyes set on potential acquisitions, seeking a quality all-rounder akin to Hardik Pandya and a proficient overseas spin bowler. The pool of available players presents intriguing prospects. The impressive performances of the Kiwi duo Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell at the 2023 ODI World Cup make them enticing options from the overseas category.Additionally, the talents of Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga, England's Adil Rashid, the towering Kyle Jamieson, India's Shardul Thakur, and Australia's World Cup winner Josh Hazlewood would be under PBKS's consideration. The anticipated bidding for Aussie speedster Mitchell Starc could create an intriguing scenario, potentially drawing significant interest from multiple teams, including PBKS.As the IPL 2024 Auction draws near, the Punjab Kings stand poised to make strategic moves and secure the right blend of talent to fortify their squad, with a keen eye on assembling a formidable team capable of vying for the prestigious IPL title for the first time.Topics mentioned in this article

[tsportsday]

File photo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma© AFPSearch engine giant Google has revealed its list of globally 'most searched' atheltes in the year 2023. This year saw some big sporting names making headline, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi making moves to Al-Nassr and Inter Miami. But, surprisingly, the two aren't in the top 10 when it comes to the list of 'most searched athletes' globally. In fact, Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are also absent from the list. But, one Indian cricketer did make the cut.The cricketer is India's emerging star Shubman Gill. The top-order batter has had a truly sensational year that saw him cement his place in the Indian team across all three formats.Gill is truly being looked upon as a future batting great, with his performances playing pivotal roles in the team's success across formats in 2023. Gill was place 9th in the listBut, surprisingly, Gill isn't the highest-ranked cricketer in the list. New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra stood one step above Gill, at the No. 8 spot in the list of most Googled athletes globally in 2023.Here's the full list:1) Damar Hamlin2) Kylian Mbappé3) Travis Kelce4) Ja Morant5) Harry Kane6) Novak Djokovic7) Carlos Alcaraz8) Rachin Ravindra9) Shubman Gill10) Kyrie IrvingTopping the list is Damar Hamlin, an NFL star who plays for the Buffalo Bills. Following him is Paris Saint-German and France striker Kylian Mbappe, with another NFL star Travis Kelce at No. 3. NBA star Ja Morant comes in at No. 4 spot while Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane finished at the 5th spot.The most-decorated tennis player in men's player in tennis, Novak Djokovic, occupied the 7th spot, followed by the new ATP no. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Basketball player Kyrie Irving, who plays for Dallas Mavericks, comes in 10th.Topics mentioned in this article