The Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), have faced criticism from former cricketer Robin Uthappa for allowing Rachin Ravindra to train at their Chennai academy ahead of the Test series against India. Ravindra, seeking to acclimate to Indian conditions before the one-off Test match against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, utilized the facilities at the CSK academy.
The decision proved to be a wise one, as the 24-year-old delivered a stellar performance, scoring an impressive 134 runs off 157 balls in the first innings and an unbeaten 39 runs in the second. His contributions were instrumental in New Zealand's successful chase of 107 runs to secure a historic Test victory in Bengaluru. Ravindra's outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award, marking New Zealand's first Test win in India in 36 years.
During the award ceremony, Ravindra credited his training at the CSK academy for enhancing his batting skills. Uthappa, however, publicly criticized CSK for allowing Ravindra to practice at their facility, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing national interests over those of franchise teams.
"Rachin Ravindra came here and practiced at the CSK Academy. CSK is a beautiful franchise that will always look after its franchise players but a line has to be drawn where the interest of the country comes ahead of your franchise players, especially when he is a foreign player and comes and plays against our country," Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Uthappa, a member of CSK, expressed that while the team consistently goes the extra mile for its players, there comes a time when boundaries need to be established.
"I am not surprised that CSK always go over and above for their players but somewhere in that kindness, maybe I am not saying the right thing, I absolutely love CSK, but when it comes to the country, there should be a line somewhere where we do not cross that line," he added.
"On the basis of that preparation, Rachin Ravindra batted brilliantly. One of the best knocks by an overseas player. On that wicket, 134 off 157 balls, it was solid batting. He then showed that he is the future of New Zealand cricket," he concluded.
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