Rachin Ravindra Honoured With The Players' Cap

dennis.katsanos
53 minutes ago
3 min read

Rachin Ravindra has capped off a standout year for the Blackcaps, being named the 14th recipient of The Players’ Cap. From commanding performances in India to dominating on the world stage at the ICC Champions Trophy, Ravindra’s consistency, versatility, and match-winning ability have earned him the recognition of his teammates.

“It feels like he’s been around forever — but he’s only just getting started.” That was the sentiment among the Blackcaps when Ravindra was named the 14th recipient of The Players’ Cap, presented by teammate Matt Henry during a team gathering at Hanmer Springs recently.

The award caps off a stellar year for Ravindra, one that saw him mature from promising youngster to one of New Zealand’s most influential all-format performers.

Fresh from a landmark Test series in India where he was the leading run-scorer with 256 runs at an average over fifty — including a classy 134 in Bengaluru — Ravindra proved he could excel in the toughest conditions. His poise against spin, coupled with a calm match temperament, drew admiration both at home and abroad, as the Blackcaps celebrated their first Test series win - a 3-0 whitewash on Indian soil.

If his red-ball feats hinted at a player ready to lead from the front, his white-ball campaign removed any doubt. At the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Ravindra was nothing short of sensational. Batting at number four, he struck consecutive centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa to propel New Zealand into the final, finishing the tournament as top run-scorer and being named Player of the Tournament. It was another major milestone in a year that underlined his all-round class and composure on the global stage.

Ravindra’s consistency, versatility and quiet competitiveness stood out to his peers, earning their recognition through the team’s internal voting system.

An emotional Ravindra reflected on receiving the award: “I think it's truly an honour to be recognised as someone who upholds the team values and that to me is more important than anything else. Accolades are great and all, we know we don't necessarily play for them, but I mean this one would be right up there.

The validation from your teammates to know you're bleeding for them and you're going out to play every game for them and to receive that recognition is amazing.

I had Matt Henry, our NZCPA, Player Rep hand The Players’ Cap to me and add some special words and I think when you hear stuff like that from a close friend, and obviously a world-class bowler, it invokes a few emotions. It was extremely special to receive this award from Matt and my peers.”

The voting was again fiercely contested, with several players featuring prominently across formats. Ultimately, it was Ravindra’s balance of impact and consistency that saw him edge out other strong performers in what was another demanding international schedule.

The 2025 edition marks the 14th Players’ Cap since its inception, continuing to celebrate the cricketer whose influence and contributions have resonated most with teammates over the season.

About The Players’ Cap

Players and coaches vote for the players who they deem to have contributed the most to the team performance over the course of each match. Recognising that players and coaches have a unique insight into the tactics, role and impact of each player’s performance and how they each contributed to the overall team effort, this award is one that holds the highest of accolades.

Weighting of Votes

In order to compensate for the uneven number and length of Test, ODI and T20i matches, and to ensure that players from all three formats of the game have a fair chance of winning the award, a weighting system applies to all votes.

· Test match votes have a ‘weighting factor’ of 6,

· ODI match votes have a ‘weighting factor’ of 3

· T20i match votes have a ‘weighting factor’ of 2

To find out more about The Players’ Cap click here

The PLAYERS’ CAP Recipients

2025: 14th – Rachin Ravindra

2024: 13th – Glenn Phillips

2023: 12th – Daryl Mitchell

2022: 11th – Devon Conway

2021: 10th – Kyle Jamieson

2020: 9th – Tim Southee

2019: 8th – Ross Taylor