West Indies Youngsters to Train at CSK Academy Amid Controversy Over Rachin Ravindra’s Stint, Uthappa said “A line has to be drawn….”

Cricket West Indies has selected seven promising batters to undergo specialized spin training at the Chennai Super Kings Academy. The group includes Kirk McKenzie, Matthew Nandu, Kevin Wickham, Teddy Bishop, Jewel Andrew, Jordan Johnson, and Ackeem Auguste, assisted by coaches Ramesh Subasinghe and Rohan Nurse.

CWI Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, highlighted the importance of the initiative and remarked:

The Chennai Academy will host these seven batsmen and aim to equip them with skills and experience in navigating spinning conditions. Our coaches will be on hand to ensure that the learnings in the period can be consolidated and extended to other players in the region through the academy.

This move follows a recent controversy involving New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, who trained at the same academy before a one-off Test against India. Ravindra’s preparation paid off spectacularly as he scored 134 and an unbeaten 39*, helping New Zealand secure a historic whitewash over India in the spin-friendly tracks of India.

Former Indian batsman Robin Uthappa openly criticised CSK for hosting Ravindra and stated:

Rachin Ravindra came here and practiced at the CSK Academy. CSK is a beautiful franchise that will always look after its franchise players but a line has to be drawn where the interest of the country comes ahead of your franchise players, especially when he is a foreign player and comes and plays against our country.

While the program for West Indies players signals a focus on skill development, it also reignites the debate over balancing franchise contributions with national cricket priorities.