Kiwi athlete more popular than Messi? The list that proves it

Rachin Ravindra has become no stranger to lofty achievements in 2023 as he burst onto the international scene with his performance at the Cricket World Cup.

578 runs at an average of 64.2, a strike rate of 106.4 and for good measure five wickets at 78.6 with an economy rate of 5.98 shot him to household status in New Zealand.

It turns out it wasn’t just in Aotearoa that Ravindra’s name cropped up with Google’s Top Trending Athletes in 2023 listing him at number eight globally alongside a few other names you may recognise.

Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin tops the list after making the world’s heart stop after his own heart stopped following a big hit in the NFL that sent him into cardiac arrest in January. Hamlin has since returned to playing and it is unsurprising he is the most-searched athletes of 2023.

NBA stars Ja Morant and Kyrie Irving made an appearance due to controversy they were involved in, rather than for their on-court performance.

Novak Djokovic is a name that comes with its fair share of controversy, but the Serb has had a remarkable season in 2023, even for him.

Carlos Alcaraz became just the second person to beat Djokovic in a Wimbledon final, shooting his own name up into the top 10 trending athletes on the search engine.

Another surprise cricket inclusion is 24-year-old Indian Shubman Gill, who like Ravindra was a strong performer at the Cricket World Cup.

Another NFL star on the list is Travis Kelce and while in his own right he would have generated plenty of searches, his association with pop megastar Taylor Swift and the attention of her Swifties shot him to third on the list for 2023.

Football continues to be the global game with Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane in the top five, it is interesting to note a lack of Messi and Ronaldo for 2023 - a sign of the times perhaps?

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission