Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand’s top order hitter, became the youngest recipient of the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal on Wednesday after being crowned the country’s best male cricketer of the year. Meanwhile, Amelia Kerr was named the year’s best female cricketer after receiving the Debbie Hockley Medal for the second time in a row.
Kane Williamson was named the ANZ Test Player of the Year and won the Redpath Cup in men’s first-class batting. Ravindra, 24, is the youngest winner of the award in its history, following a season in which he established himself as an important component of New Zealand’s red and white teams.
Ravindra, who joined the 50-over squad in March of last year, starred in the ODI World Cup in India, collecting 578 runs at an average of 64, including three hundreds and two half-centuries, including an unbeaten 123 against England in Ahmedabad.
As a result, Ravindra was named the ICC’s Emerging Player of the Year for 2023, and he also secured a USD 350,000 Indian Premier League contract with the Chennai Super Kings. The Sir Richard Hadlee Medal concluded Ravindra’s breakout season on the international stage, in which he helped the Kiwis in all three formats.
Ravindra continued his meteoric rise in Test cricket, making New Zealand’s highest-ever maiden Test century of 240 against South Africa at Bay Oval and playing a key role in the Black Caps’ first Test series win over South Africa.
He was signed for a hefty Rs 1.8 crore by the Chennai Super Kings, the most successful IPL franchise. The Kiwi hitter will be eager to join his franchise and make a mark in his first season in the lucrative competition. Rachin will shortly join the CSK squad in Chennai for a pre-tournament camp.
Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner were awarded the ODI and T20I players of the year, respectively. Amelia Kerr swept the women’s accolades, winning both the ODI and T20I Player of the Year titles.
