Rachin Ravindra reaffirms commitment to New Zealand amid surge of T20 leagues

Rachin Ravindra has affirmed his dedication to representing New Zealand despite the burgeoning allure of T20 leagues worldwide.

Speaking to the Herald, he emphasized his current commitment to the national team, acknowledging the uncertainty that the future holds.

“I can only talk for my situation,” he told the Herald. “I’m fully committed to playing for New Zealand at this current stage of time. You never know what the situation will look like in the future.

“As of right now, I can only speak for what’s happening now. For me, I’m committed to playing for New Zealand and whatever comes up in between, I’ll pick up.”

However, the landscape of cricket increasingly tilts towards franchise leagues. For instance, Kane Williamson reportedly declined a New Zealand Cricket contract in favor of a more lucrative deal with a South African SA20 franchise. This trend underscores the ongoing tension between club and international commitments, exacerbated by the proliferation of T20 leagues across the global cricket calendar.

Despite these shifts, Ravindra, in the early stages of his Black Caps career, recognizes the enduring significance of international cricket.

“There’s still a lot of context for international cricket, there’s a lot of context for world tournaments [and] World Cups,” he continued.

“The World Test Championship puts emphasis on every test match you play. For a lot of people, test match cricket is still the pinnacle.

“I’m not sure if that’s going to die out. But as of right now, everyone still values [international cricket] ahead of the franchise stuff.”