New Zealand’s rising star, Rachin Ravindra, placed on a spectacular batting show within the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final towards South Africa, smashing a superb century to set the stage for a commanding whole. The 25-year-old left-hander continued his golden run in ICC tournaments, scoring 108 off 106 balls, guiding the Black Caps to a dominant place within the essential knockout conflict.
Opening the innings with intent, Rachin constructed a strong basis, countering the South African pacers with exact stroke play. His knock was a mixture of stylish cowl drives, well-placed flicks, and audacious aerial photographs that saved the scoreboard ticking. Rachin’s capability to shift gears seamlessly put immense stress on the Proteas’ bowling assault, which struggled to discover a breakthrough throughout his keep on the crease. His 132-run partnership with captain Kane Williamson performed a pivotal position in laying the groundwork for New Zealand’s massive whole.
Rachin Ravindra breaks Shikhar Dhawan’s file in model
Together with his newest century, Rachin additionally scripted historical past by changing into the quickest batter to attain 5 centuries in ICC ODI tournaments, breaking the long-standing file held by India’s Shikhar Dhawan. The Kiwi southpaw reached this feat in simply 13 innings, surpassing Dhawan’s file of 15 innings.
Ravindra’s 5 ICC match centuries embody:
- 2023 ODI World Cup – In opposition to England, Australia, and Pakistan
- 2025 Champions Trophy – In opposition to Bangladesh and South Africa
This exceptional consistency in high-profile occasions has cemented Ravindra’s repute as a big-match participant. His fearless strategy and talent to carry out underneath stress are paying homage to a few of the recreation’s best gamers, and at simply 25 years of age, he’s rising because the spine of New Zealand’s batting lineup.
Additionally Learn: Followers go berserk as Rachin Ravindra smashes century towards South Africa in Champions Trophy 2025
New Zealand publish an enormous whole of 362/6
Ravindra’s beautiful century was nicely complemented by Williamson, who anchored the innings with a elegant 102 off 94 balls, making certain New Zealand maintained their dominance all through the innings. The skilled batter paced his knock fantastically, accelerating on the proper moments whereas preserving the South African bowlers at bay.
Contributions from the center order additional strengthened the Black Caps’ place. Daryl Mitchell performed a gradual hand with a well-made 49, making certain no momentum was misplaced. Glenn Phillips supplied a late flourish, remaining unbeaten on 49 off simply 26 balls, propelling New Zealand previous the 350-run mark. On the finish of their 50 overs, New Zealand posted a mammoth 362/6, setting South Africa an uphill job on this high-stakes semi-final.