Rachin Ravindra Talks About The Indian Connection With Tendulkar, Dravid, and

Rachin Ravindra, a batsman for New Zealand, said on Thursday that watching footage of India cricket greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid—after whom he is named—inspired him to score a match-winning century in the World Cup opener. Because of his father's passion for the game, Ravindra's first name is a combination of the letters "Ra" for Rahul and "chin" for Sachin. He lived up to his moniker with great flair. In Ahmedabad, he hit 123 in an undefeated partnership of 273 with Devon Conway as New Zealand easily defeated the reigning champions, England, by nine wickets.

The 23-year-old Ravindra, whose parents emigrated to New Zealand from the south Indian city of Bengaluru, soon hit his tonne in front of a sparsely attended 132,000-seat stadium, shortly after fellow left-hander Conway reached his hundred.

In his 96-ball innings, he hit 11 fours and five sixes, and he acknowledged that Tendulkar and Dravid had given him inspiration.

He remarked, "I think those two are pretty special cricketers."

"I've obviously watched a lot of footage and heard a lot of stories, and I think my parents and the traditional Indian cricket players had a big influence.

"Having access to a lot of their highlights and other content. Of course, Sachin Tendulkar was my hero. Being a lefty, I suppose there are certain individuals you look to. For example, I adore Kumar Sangakkara and Brian Lara—you know, the typical cannon left-handers."

With 13.4 overs remaining on Thursday, Wellington-born Ravindra achieved his century off 82 balls with nine fours and four sixes as New Zealand reached their goal of 283.

"I suppose being able to perform in India is really great, but I believe turning 100 is always remarkable. Having Indian ancestry is fantastic," Ravindra said to reporters.

"Having my parents there to watch, who travelled from New Zealand, was also lovely. Thus, it's great to have that experience, and visiting India is always pleasant.

"Seeing my grandparents and being in Bangalore gives me a sense of family connection."

After making his ODI debut in March of this year, Ravindra has only left an impression in 13 games.

Raised to the third rank, Ravindra succeeded with his close friend Conway.

"Dev is a very exceptional and remarkable player. Sharing the pitch with him was really fantastic, in my opinion," Ravindra remarked.

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"Over the past five or six years, I've spent a lot of time watching him develop into one of the greatest batters in the world. To celebrate that milestone with him is really amazing."