Rachin Ravindra and 4 other players who were named after famous cricketers
Rachin Ravindra scored century in his debut World Cup match against defending champions England in Ahmedabad. Photo: X/@ICC
The 22-year-old New Zealand allrounder, Rachin Ravindra, etched his name in the history books by smashing a century on his debut World Cup appearance.
He scored 123 runs off 96 balls, while opening batter Devon Conway contributed 152 runs off 121 balls. Together, they guided New Zealand to a comfortable victory over defending champions England, chasing a target of 283 runs.
The Indian-origin New Zealand player was a replacement for captain Kane Williamson and came in to bat at the number three spot. He was an unexpected element in the match, and no one had anticipated such a ferocious knock from a 22-year-old cricketer who had only made his debut six months prior.
Rachin has become an overnight sensation worldwide because his name, Rachin, is inspired by two great Indian cricket stars: Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. His parents were ardent cricket fans in India, and when he was born, they named him Rachin, with "Ra" from Rahul Dravid and "chin" from Sachin's name.
Rachin Ravindra himself Sharing the Story Behind his name ❤
— Cricket Freaks (@CricketFreaks7) October 6, 2023
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"It was nice to have my parents there watching; they flew over from New Zealand," said Rachin Ravindra after the match.
Cricketers whose names have been inspired by other cricket stars:
One might think that Rachin Ravindra is an exceptional cricketer whose name has been inspired by cricketing legends. However, there have been other cricketers whose parents named them after several cricket legends. Here are a few of those players:
Curtly Ambrose: The Antiguan fast bowler Curtly Ambrose's first name is inspired by England's fast bowler and Sussex's grandfather, James Kirtley.
He worked as a minister and missionary in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean during the 1960s.
Rohan Gavaskar: Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar's son, Rohan Gavaskar, is also named after West Indian batsman Rohan Kanhai, one of Sunil Gavaskar's favorite cricketers and his friend from the World XI tour of Australia in 1971-72.
Neil Fairbrother: The English cricketer was named after Australian cricketer Neil Harvey, who was his mother's favorite cricketer. Neil went on to feature in 75 ODIs and 10 Test matches for England. He made his debut in 1987 and played his last ODI against India in 1999.
Kenny Benjamin: Kenneth Charlie Griffith Benjamin, commonly known as Kenny Benjamin, was a West Indies fast bowler who, along with Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, formed the pace attack for the national side in the mid-1990s.
His middle name, "Charlie Griffith," was inspired by West Indian fast bowler Charlie Griffith. Benjamin made his debut in 1992 and retired in 1996 after playing 26 Test matches and 26 ODIs.