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Who is Kristian Clarke? The Kiwi pacer who removed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in 2nd ODI

Abhinav Tyagi

Kristian Clarke for New Zealand - (Source: AFP)Kristian Clarke for New Zealand - (Source: AFP)

In the ongoing 2nd ODI between India and New Zealand at the Saurashtra Cricket Ground, the fans turned up in thousands to see Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in action. However, a new face, 24-year-old Kris Clarke, has attracted attention for his role with the ball. The two veterans have been in some fine form lately. 

The Men in Blue batters dominated the first ODI, where Kiwi bowlers, besides Kyle Jamieson, were clueless, and had it not been the tally guy, the Blackcaps wouldn’t have come close in the game. Nonetheless, for the 2nd ODI, the Michael Bracewell-led side made a few changes.

Kris Clarke wreaks havoc with Virat, Rohit's wicket

Among those retained and trusted for another game was Kristian Clarke. The 24-year-old went for 73 runs in his 10 overs in the first ODI, but bounced back strongly in the 2nd ODI with a three-wicket haul. Most importantly, Klarke hogged the headlines after he got the crucial wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer.

Notably, Clarke’s first wicket of the night was Rohit Sharma, who mistimed an inside-out shot. Clarke’s second victim was Virat Kohli, who saw his stumps flying. Eventually, the 24-year-old also got the dangerous man Shreyas Iyer out. There is a curiosity among the fans to know more about the right-arm seamer, and this article will shed light on that.

Who is Kris Clarke? The 24-year-old Kiwi Sensation

For the uninitiated, Clarke is new to international cricket and is playing his second ODI for the Kiwis. The 24-year-old made his debut in the first ODI at the Vadodara Cricket Stadium. Notably, Clarke rose to fame during the 2020 Under-19 ODI World Cup. 

Klarke was in the same edition when Dhruv Jurel, Tilak Varma, and Yashasvi Jaiswal played for India. Clarke took a four-haul for the Kiwis in the quarter-final against West Indies, which saw him gain fame. Clarke’s brilliance helped New Zealand reach the semi-final. Notably, Clarke picked up seven wickets in four games. 

Prior to playing for New Zealand, Clarke played 28 first-class, 35 List A, and 22 T20s for Northern Districts. 

Clarke auditions for future opportunities

At present, Clarke is in scheme of things in just ODIs. However, the youngster would hope for opportunities across formats. At present, the 24-year-old has not found a place in New Zealand's T20 World Cup 2026 squad, but the right-arm seamer is expected to make his T20I debut later this year.

Further, Clarke's performance can also help him grab eyeballs from IPL scouts. The auction is done and dusted, but Clarke can emerge as a strong replacement contendors.