New Delhi: For New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, the opening Test against India isn’t just another game that he will take the field for, the reason being the venue for the game i.e. Bengaluru. Ravindra will be having that ‘homely’ feeling around himself as the city still has plenty of his family and he expects them to show up for the Test. It is noteworthy that Ravindra’s father – Ravi Krishnamurthy played a decent level of cricket in Bengaluru before settling down in New Zealand.
Even his mother Deepa hails from the city while his grandparents T. Balakrishna Adiga, a noted educationist, and Poornima still stay there which marks a perfect occasion for a cosy family get-together ahead of the game. His father has already reached the city from Wellington to watch his son play Test cricket in a place where he spent his formative years and played club cricket.
Talking about his Indian connection during the pre-match press conference on Monday, Ravindra said, “Yeah, it’s cool. Obviously when I was here last, well I guess it was IPL and then before that, it was the ODI World Cup, so two pretty cool experiences to have, part of two very good teams.” The 24-year-old was born and brought up in Wellington but is anyway proud of his Indian heritage.
“But I guess it’s something different about playing a Test match. You’re here for five days and it’s tradition. Test cricket’s the pinnacle. And I guess it makes it extra significant just because of the family connection. For me, I was born and brought up in Wellington, I’m a Kiwi all the way through. It’s amazing and I’m very proud of my Indian heritage and to be able to play where a lot of my family is based is something pretty special,” Ravindra added.
“There’ll be a bunch of them in the crowd and I know Dad will be here watching, so those moments, you pinch yourself on the journey and for this, it’s definitely one of them,” Ravindra concluded.
Watch the video here –
Test cricket + family 🏏
Hear from Rachin Ravindra on the opportunity to play Test cricket in India and the extra special family connection he has in Bengaluru 🏏#INDvNZ #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/4Tvf5ByN2i
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 14, 2024
Not the first time in Bengaluru
This isn’t the first instance of Ravindra playing a game in Bengaluru as the graceful southpaw played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the ODI World Cup last year and smashed a 108 against Pakistan. He returned to the venue during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 donning the yellow jersey of Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He relived all those memories and knows for a fact that this homecoming is a feeling that will always have a new warmth around it whenever he comes to the city in the future as well.
Rachin Ravindra will take the field in what can be termed as his “second home” as he gears up for the first Test against India in Bengaluru – a city where still most of his family is based. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
