Rachin Ravindra has been exceptional as a bowler in 2026. Image Credits: AFP
Rachin Ravindra has yet to fulfil his true potential in T20s. While he has shown glimpses of brilliance at times, the Kiwi all-rounder has yet to find consistency and remains vulnerable most of the time.
That said, Rachin has shown tremendous improvement as a bowler this year. Despite bowling being his secondary skill, the southpaw has managed to pick more wickets than expected in the last few months.
Rachin Ravindra's improved bowling returns
Rachin Ravindra has done well with the ball
Rachin Ravindra has claimed 30 wickets at an average of 13.56 and a strike rate of 9.76 across 20 T20 innings in 2026, including two four-wicket hauls. Among all bowlers with at least 30 T20 wickets this year, Rachin has the best strike rate and the second-best average, only behind Irfan Ringku. Despite bowling in different phases of the innings, he has also maintained an impressive economy rate of just 8.33.
The left-arm spinner has been equally effective for New Zealand, picking up 12 wickets at an average of 12.41 and an economy rate of 7.84 in seven innings. He also finished as their leading wicket-taker at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Rachin carried that form into Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 with Washington Freedom, where he snared 11 wickets at an average of 9.54 and an economy rate of 8.07 in five outings. His campaign included a four-wicket haul against MI New York.
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He has since continued his impressive run in The Hundred 2026 for Welsh Fire, taking five wickets at an average of 20.20 in five innings. While his economy rate of 9.32 has been slightly on the higher side, he has continued to provide breakthroughs at crucial stages.
More importantly, Rachin is no longer being used as a part-time option. He is now trusted with extended spells and key overs, making his bowling a more valuable asset than his batting at this stage of his T20 career.
Efficiency vs LHBs
Rachin Ravindra has been brilliant vs LHBs
Rachin Ravindra should, in theory, be a favourable matchup for left-handed batters. As a left-arm spinner, the ball naturally turns into them, making it easier to line up. However, he has turned that perceived weakness into a strength, dismissing left-handers consistently while maintaining excellent control.
A key reason has been the development of his scramble-seam variation. Instead of turning into the batter, the delivery often wobbles away after pitching, occasionally holding its line and skidding through. The added overspin also generates extra bounce, making it difficult for batters to get under the ball.
His dismissal of David Miller at the 2026 T20 World Cup is a perfect example. Rachin bowled a fuller-length scrambled-seam delivery that straightened slightly after pitching and bounced more than expected. Miller could only manage a toe-end, with the ball safely finding the fielder at long-on.
What has made Rachin even more effective is that he has not become overly reliant on this variation. Rather than turning into a one-trick pony, he still uses his stock delivery against left-handers whenever conditions suit him, especially when the leg-side boundary is larger, intelligently using the ground dimensions.
His dismissal of Jacob Bethell in Colombo highlighted this approach. Rachin bowled a slightly shorter stock delivery, forcing Bethell to target the bigger leg-side boundary, where Glenn Phillips completed a superb catch at deep midwicket.
The numbers underline his progress. In 2026, Rachin has dismissed left-handers at an average of just 8.70 while conceding only 8.42 runs per over. He has also bowled 37.1% dot balls against them, reflecting both his wicket-taking ability and control.
His record against right-handers has been equally impressive, but his marked improvement against left-handers has transformed him into a complete T20 bowler. By blending his scramble-seam variation with his stock delivery and adapting intelligently to the ground dimensions, Rachin has found consistent success even on flat batting surfaces.
Why KKR should consider keeping him for IPL 2027
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) signed Rachin Ravindra for INR 2 crore ahead of IPL 2026 but did not feature in a single game. He spent the entire season on the bench before leaving early to prepare for New Zealand's Test commitments.
With KKR expected to make significant changes ahead of the next season, Rachin could be among the players released. However, his remarkable development as a bowler should prompt the franchise to reassess his value, given the all-round value he now offers.
While his batting has lacked consistency, there have been encouraging signs in recent months. Rachin has produced a few high-quality innings and looked far more assured in constructing an innings, as evident from his knocks against MI London in The Hundred and MI New York in MLC 2026.
His bowling, though, is where his biggest improvement has come. Having played plenty of cricket in India across international matches and franchise tournaments, he also possesses valuable experience in local conditions. More importantly, very few left-arm spinners in world cricket have been as effective against left-handed batters as Rachin this year.
KKR also have an opening to fill at the top following Ajinkya Rahane's retirement. While the franchise could pair Tim Seifert with Finn Allen as an aggressive opening combination, Rachin offers something different. He provides genuine dual value and is a natural opener with the flexibility to bat elsewhere.
Over the last couple of years, he has acted as both a top-order and middle-order batter while consistently handling spin well. That flexibility would allow KKR to open with someone like Angkrish Raghuvanshi and use Rachin at No.3 or 4, depending on the team's requirements.
Given his rapid bowling evolution and improving batting, Rachin now offers far greater value than he did when KKR signed him. At a base price of INR 2 crore, retaining him could be a smart investment, especially with Rahane no longer part of the setup.
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