"Those two are pretty special cricketers" - Rachin Ravindra hails Sachin Tendulkar & Rahul Dravid after match-winning century in 2023 World Cup opener

The star of the moment, Rachin Ravindra, opened up on his admiration for former Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid following his breathtaking century against England in the opening game of the 2023 World Cup at Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 5.

Ravindra batted at No.3 and smashed 123* off 96 deliveries to lead the Black Caps to a responding win over the defending champions. Chasing 283 for victory, he entered the crease in the second over of the innings.

The spin-bowling all-rounder started attacking from the get-go and stitched together an unbeaten 273-run partnership with opening batter Devon Conway to help the Kiwis win with almost 14 overs to spare.

At the post-match press conference, when asked about being named after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, Ravindra said:

"I think those two are pretty special cricketers. Obviously, I've heard a lot of stories and watched a lot of footage and the influence from my parents and the old-school Indian cricketers was pretty cool. Obviously, I idolized Sachin Tendulkar. I think a lot of people did. I think the way he batted and his technique was beautiful to watch."

Tendulkar and Dravid remain the only Indian cricketers to achieve the 10,000-run landmark in both Tests and ODIs. While the Little Master is the all-time leading scorer in both formats, the current Indian coach is 4th and 10th in Tests and ODIs respectively.

Meanwhile, during his stunning knock, Ravindra became one of only 16 players to score a century on his World Cup debut. The 23-year-old also became the third youngest overall and the youngest from New Zealand to score a World Cup century.

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"I love Lara, I love Sangakkara" - Rachin Ravindra

Kumar Sangakkara (L) and Brian Lara have scored over 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs.

Rachin Ravindra also shared his affection for two former left-handers, Kumar Sangakkara, and Brian Lara, in the press conference following his scintillating unbeaten century against England,

Much like Tendulkar and Dravid, Sangakkara and Lara are part of the rarified group of players to achieve 10,000 runs in ODIs and Tests in their illustrious careers.

“I guess being lefty, there's guys you look at, I love Lara, I love Sangakkara, just the usual gun left-handers, but Tendulkar was definitely the idol," he said.

Ravindra also spoke about his Indian roots and how scoring a century in India was even more special.

"A hundred is always special, but I guess in terms of being able to perform in India is pretty cool. So, it’s cool to have that moment and obviously it's always nice coming to India I have a sense of family connection whenever I'm in Bangalore and being able to see my grandparents and stuff so yeah, it's pretty cool," he added.

The 23-year-old also bowled his ten overs during the first innings and picked up the vital wicket of Harry Brook. His all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award in his debut World Cup game.

Ravindra will next be in action when New Zealand take on the Netherlands in Hyderabad on Monday, October 9.