24-year-old Ravindra will be seen in action when New Zealand take on Bangladesh in a two-match Test series starting in Sylhet on November 28. The left-hander had an outstanding 2023 World Cup in India, amassing 578 runs in 10 innings at an excellent average of 64.22, with as many as three hundreds.
Opening up on his sudden rise to stardom, Ravindra told ESPNcricinfo that everything seems a bit unreal. "Pretty surreal. Things have happened quite quickly, and I am very fortunate to be here right now. At my age, being able to travel around the world playing cricket, playing a game you love, for a living is pretty special. (It) definitely has its ups and downs, but mostly I love every single moment," the youngster commented.
The batter acknowledged that the positive team environment played a key role in his success, adding that playing freely and learning from experienced cricketers has helped his cause in a big way. Following his exploits in the one-day format, Ravindra is now keen to make an impact in red ball cricket as well during the upcoming series in Bangladesh.
"I enjoy going back to red-ball cricket after that (ODIs) because that means your intent... you are almost looking to score, so, I mean, (it) keeps you in a good position to score," Ravindra said.
He also professed his love for five-day cricket and asserted that he is looking forward to doing well in Bangladesh. "I really loved my first experience of Test cricket a couple of years ago, and (I am) really excited to see how my game has evolved," he commented.
Having made his international debut in 2021, Ravindra has so far represented New Zealand in three Tests, 22 ODIs and 18 T20Is, scoring 73, 767 and 145 runs respectively. With the ball, he has picked up three wickets in the Test format, 17 in one-dayers and 11 in T20Is.
The first Test of the Bangladesh-New Zealand series will be played at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet from November 28 to December 2. The second Test will be held at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka from December 6 to 10.
--By A Cricket Correspondent
