New Zealand cricketer Rachin Ravindra bagged the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023 award on Wednesday, January 24. The youngster enjoyed a sensational run in ODIs last year to beat the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Gerald Coetzee for the prestigious ICC award.
The 24-year-old spin all-rounder scored 911 runs in 31 international innings in 2023 and also made an impact with a ball by taking 23 wickets in 28 innings. Rachin also recorded three hundreds in 2023, all in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, and added three fifties as well.
Rachin was the leading run-getter for New Zealand in the World Cup 2023 with 578 runs and also bagged five wickets to help them reach the semi-final.
Meanwhile, Indian youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal also enjoyed a breakthrough year in international cricket in 2023. The left-handed opener made his international debut in July 2023 and has cemented a regular place in India's T20I and Test squads. Yashasvi scored 718 runs in 19 international innings in 2023 with two hundreds but was not part of the ODI World Cup.
Sri Lanka's Dilshan Madushanka also witnessed a sharp rise in international cricket in 2023. He was the team's leading wicket-taker in the World Cup with 21 wickets in just nine innings and finished the year 2023 with 37 wickets in 21 international innings at an amazing average of 27.59 and at an economy rate of 6.57.
Gerald Coetzee was tipped to clinch the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023 after consistently impressive performances across formats. The 23-year-old right-arm pacer made his international debut in March 2023 and went on to take 47 wickets in 24 innings last year. Coetzee was the leading wicket-taker for the Proteas in 2023 and also made impact in the ODI World Cup with 20 wickets in eight innings.