Black Caps’ World Cup star Rachin Ravindra will be in heavy demand at the Indian Premier League’s December 19 auction, but has set a low base price.
The 24-year-old, who was one of the breakout performers at the Cricket World Cup, will enter the 2024 player auction with a base price of INR 50 lakhs (NZ$96,650).
The 10 IPL franchises have a total of 77 slots to fill, of which 30 can be overseas players. Ravindra, Australian opener Travis Head, who blazed 137 in the World Cup final win over India, and team-mate Mitchell Starc, are expected to be three of the most highly sought after names in the auction.
Ravindra had a stunning World Cup, hitting 578 runs from 10 innings (the fourth most runs at the tournament) at an average of 64.22. He struck three centuries and two half-centuries, also taking five wickets with his left-arm spin.
The Wellington allrounder has a huge following in India. He has Indian parents, who moved to Wellington from Bengaluru in the 1990s before he was born. His first name is a portmanteau of two Indian greats – Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.
Ravindra’s T20 batting numbers have plenty of room for improvement early in his career. In 18 T20Is for New Zealand, he has scored 145 runs with a highest score of 26 at a strike rate of 118.
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Black Cap Rachin Ravindra should be in heavy demand at the December 19 IPL auction.
For Wellington in the T20 Super Smash, Ravindra has scored 618 career runs from 53 matches with one half-century and a strike rate of 123, to go with 41 wickets at 26.92.
He told ESPN Cricinfo after the Cricket World Cup, he heard all the chatter about the IPL auction, but only wanted to worry about what he could control – playing well for New Zealand when opportunities arose.
“Whether it is noise or what is being reported, I think what’s important, what matters right now is what series you have in front of you.
“There’s so much time to the IPL. There’s no guarantee that I will get picked up [in the auction]. There are no guarantees in life and cricket. I am just focused on what’s in front of me: the Bangladesh test series. You stay in the present, you savour those moments. Every moment I get to play for New Zealand, I am very, very grateful.”
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Rachin Ravindra celebrates a half-century in his side’s round-robin match against India at the Cricket World Cup.
New Zealand ODI skipper Kane Williamson will return to the IPL after playing just one game last season, when a knee injury abruptly ended his campaign with the Gujarat Titans.
Devon Conway (Chennai Super Kings), Mitchell Santner (Chennai Super Kings), Trent Boult (Rajasthan Royals) and Glenn Phillips (Sunrisers Hyderabad) have also retained their contracts.
Five other Black Caps were released by their teams at the player retention deadline and will have to rely on being picked up by a new team at the auction.
Tim Southee (Kolkata Knight Riders), Lockie Ferguson (Kolkata Knight Riders), Kyle Jamieson (Chennai Super Kings), Finn Allen (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Michael Bracewell (Royal Challengers Bangalore) were all released by their respective franchises for the 2024 season.
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New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra works the ball away for runs against India at the Cricket World Cup.
Allrounder Bracewell played five games for Bangalore last season, but has been out of all cricket since rupturing an Achilles tendon in England in June.
Outside the five retained Black Caps, Ferguson (INR 2 crore/NZ$387,000) has the highest base price among New Zealand players for the auction.
Southee, Neesham and former Black Caps Colin Munro and Corey Anderson, who is based in the United States, have a base price of INR 1.5 crore (NZ$290,000).
Daryl Mitchell, who was so impressive at the World Cup and should receive interest from IPL teams, has set a base price of INR 1 crore (NZ$193,000), as have Jamieson, Bracewell, Adam Milne, and Martin Guptill.
