Ravindra: "It's a privilege to open for CSK, considering its rich history"

Ravindra: “A Privilege to Open for CSK, Given Its Legacy”

Rachin Ravindra got his first true taste of the MS Dhoni phenomenon at Chepauk, and it came during a classic Chennai Super Kings finish. With CSK needing just four runs to beat rivals Mumbai Indians, the home crowd was clearly hoping for a vintage Dhoni six to wrap things up. Instead, it was Ravindra who launched the ball over deep midwicket to seal the win—much to the crowd's surprise.

“It’s tough to take it all in when you’re in the middle, focused on winning,” Ravindra said after CSK’s four-wicket victory in their IPL 2025 opener. “But it’s hard to ignore the atmosphere. The crowd erupts the moment Dhoni walks out. It was pretty cool to be out there with him for the first time—he’s a legend and absolutely adored here. It’s special.”

Ravindra admitted fans probably hoped he'd hand the strike to Dhoni for a signature finish. “They would’ve loved for him to hit that final shot. But at the end of the day, it’s about getting the job done. He’s finished so many games for CSK, and I’m sure he’ll do it again.”

With Devon Conway sidelined by injury last year, Ravindra opened the batting through much of IPL 2024. At the recent mega auction, CSK brought Conway back and retained Ravindra using a right-to-match card. The faith paid off—Ravindra struck an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls to guide CSK in a chase of 156.

“I found out just a few days ago that I’d be opening,” he said. “Flem [Stephen Fleming] is good at making those calls. It's a real privilege to open for CSK considering the names that have done it before—guys like Hussey, Watson, McCullum, Faf, Ruturaj, Hayden, Conway. I’m sure I’ve missed a few. But it’s an honour, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

Ravindra formed a solid 67-run stand with Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top, and despite a wobble in the middle order, he stayed composed. His back-to-back sixes off left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur in the 18th over helped seal the game.

Having recently featured in the Champions Trophy, Ravindra said his prep mostly came through match play rather than nets. “I haven’t had too many training sessions because of all the cricket I’ve been playing. But coming to conditions like this after recent games has helped,” he explained.

Looking back on last season, Ravindra acknowledged a dip in form but is hopeful about this year. “Last year didn’t end quite the way I’d hoped, but I felt something click during that last game in Bangalore. Hopefully, I can carry that forward. T20 can be unpredictable, but my goal is to keep playing my shots, stay true to my game, and help CSK win matches.”

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