Rachin Ravindra Makes History with Centuries in Both ICC World Cup and Champions Trophy Debut Matches
New Zealand’s young star, Rachin Ravindra, made history in one-day international cricket by scoring a remarkable century against Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy on Monday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Ravindra had missed New Zealand’s opening match of the tournament against Pakistan due to an injury sustained during the first match of the tri-series in Lahore.
However, on Monday, Ravindra was called up to the playing eleven to replace the ill Daryl Mitchell, making his debut in the Champions Trophy. Batting at number four, Ravindra played a stunning knock of 112 runs in pursuit of Bangladesh’s target of 237 runs.
In addition, New Zealand’s captain, Tom Latham, contributed a vital 55 runs off 76 balls, leading New Zealand to a comfortable victory and securing a spot in the semi-finals.
After his memorable century against Bangladesh, Rachin Ravindra achieved a unique distinction. He became the first player in history to score a century on debut in both the ICC World Cup and the Champions Trophy. In 2023, Ravindra had already made an impressive century in his World Cup debut match against England.
A total of 19 players in cricket history have scored a century on their World Cup debut, and 15 have done so in the Champions Trophy, but Ravindra remains the only player to have achieved this feat in both prestigious tournaments.
Ravindra’s century against Bangladesh was his fourth in One Day International cricket, and all of his centuries have come in ICC events. He had already scored three centuries during the 2023 World Cup.
With this remarkable achievement, Rachin Ravindra has now become the New Zealand player with the most centuries in ICC events, surpassing Kane Williamson and Nathan Astle, who each had three centuries in ICC events.
