Former India captain Anil Kumble 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.
“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,” Kumble told ESPNcricinfo.
New Zealand beat England by nine wickets in World Cup opener
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.
