Blackcaps star Rachin Ravindra has continued his impressive start to his maiden Indian Premier League season with another head-turning outing with Chennai Super Kings' on Wednesday morning (NZ time).
The ICC emerging player of the year winner slammed 46 off just 20 balls to open the batting against Gujurat Titans, blasting six fours and three sixes to power his team to a commanding total of 206/6.
The Titans fell well short in their pursuit, limping to 143/8 to hand the Super Kings an emphatic 63-run victory.
The innings comes five days after his debut knock of 37 off only 15 deliveries, which included three fours and three sixes in a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In the sixth over, the 24-year-old's knock came to a halt courtesy of a sharp stumping by Saha off the bowling of spin sensation Rashid Khan, after laying on a 62-run partnership with captain and fellow opener Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Ravindra's eye-catching turn at the World Cup in India, where he scored three centuries and finished as the tournament's fourth highest run scorer, instantly made him a large blip on the IPL franchises' radar.
He was eventually scooped up by the Super Kings for the relatively modest price of $NZ350,000 and, judging by early impressions, may turn out to be one of the bargains of the season.
Ravindra's much more expensive Blackcaps teammate Daryl Mitchell - whose $2.27 million contract made him the highest paid of any NZ player in the IPL - was also in the thick of the action for the Super Kings.
The Sir Richard Hadlee Medal recipient contributed a handy late cameo of 24 off 20 balls, before chipping in with 1/18 in his two-over spell with the ball.
The result lifts the Super Kings to the top of the IPL standings.
Wellington product Ravindra arrived in India fresh off his first full test summer, which was highlighted by his remarkable 240 against South Africa in Mount Maunganui last month.
