CSK official reveals young sensation Rachin Ravindra’s batting position in IPL 2024 

Rachin Ravindra made headlines with his sensational batting performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup. A stellar campaign with both bat and bowl – five wickets and 578 runs from 10 games at an impressive average of 64.22, which included three centuries and two half-centuries. The young lad himself put his name in the top spot for the emerging player of 2023.

His stunning efforts not only helped him finish as the tournament’s fourth-leading run-scorer, but also helped his team reach the semi-finals. The 24-year-old has scored 820 runs in 25 ODIs at an average of 41 and a strike rate of 108.04. Despite raising his standards, Ravindra chose to put himself in the 50 lakh category as the base price in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction.

A bidding war was expected for the southpaw at the Coca-Cola arena in Dubai on December 19, but his World Cup heroics failed to ignite a battle between the franchises. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) raised the paddle in the first before Punjab Kings entered the fray. However, CSK emerged victorious as they bagged the services of the Kiwi all-rounder for Rs 1.1 crore.

Will Ravindra be the one to fill Suresh Raina’s shoes?

Ravindra is a top-order batter and it remains to be seen where he will bat in CSK’s star-studded batting line-up in the upcoming season. Meanwhile, an official of the Chennai-based franchise recently said that they will not be replacing their successful opening pair of Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Instead, Ravindra will be given the No.3 slot, which was played by their former vice-captain Suresh Raina.

The defending champions did not have a designated batter in the one-down in the 2023 season. Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali and Ajinkya Rahane were changing their batting positions according to the game situation. If Ravindra manages to shine in the No. 3 role, he could have a long run with the blockbuster franchise and the management could find a replacement for the great Raina. A fine start from Conway and Gaikwad, followed by Ravindra’s exploits will give MS Dhoni-led side good results.