Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. The veteran batter announced his retirement in a social media post, saying, “The reality of life is that everything has a beginning and everything has an end.” Rahane remained one of the strongest pillars of the Indian middle order, especially in Test cricket. He has played 85 tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is in his career and also remained an integral part of India’S 2015 and 2016 World Cup campaigns.
Not just as a player who loved to cut the ball down the ground with smooth elegance, Ajinkya Rahane will be remembered as one of the most dependable figures in Indian cricket. Rahane debuted under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy in the 2011 England series, where he smashed 61 off 39 balls as an opener.
The competition for a place in the Indian XI remained fierce. Despite consistently delivering whenever he got an opportunity, Ajinkya Rahane spent long periods warming the bench. His fortunes finally changed in 2013 when he made his Test debut against Australia. That marked the beginning of a remarkable journey, as Rahane went on to establish himself as one of the dependable batters.
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The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2021 and Rahane’s masterclass
Ajinkya Rahane who always boiled the eggs in the shade, finally got an opportunity to lead Team India during the 2021 Border-Gavaskar Trophy as captain Virat Kohli returned home for the birth of his daughter, Vamika. In that series, India started shamefully, after a 36 all out. When everyone thought India would never win the series, Rahane stood against all odds, led an almost third-string Indian side with many of the senior players injured, and ended the series with a commanding 2-1 win.
In his illustrious career, Ajinkya Rahane scored 5,077 runs in tests, 2,962 runs in ODIs and 375 runs in T20Is.
His fight against Australia in the 2015 semi-final, alongside Dhoni, is still considered one o fIndia’s finest efforts in a losing cause.
Ajinkya Rahane 2.0
Despite success and runs, consistency remained a problem for him, his batting strike rate in white-ball cricket dipped down which led to him losing his place, he last played wearing the blues in 2018. After that, he remained the vice-captain of the Test side but after consistent failures, he also lost his place in the Test team in 2023. Though the setbacks didn’t stop him, in the 2023 IPL he rattled the bowlers with an almost strike rate of 172 and helped Chennai Super Kings to win their fifth title.
What did he say in the video?
Before leaving international cricket, he said on an Instagram post, “ I’ve always relied on timing in my batting, and I’ve always understood its importance. Today, I feel the timing is right for me to move on and announce my retirement from international cricket and all formats. From those early days travelling from Dombivli as a young boy just to practice, I gave this game everything I had.”
In the emotional video he also said “Every single day, every innings, every opportunity I got to bat, the dream was always to wear the India cap. I lived by one simple rule: always put my country and my team ahead of myself. I played this game with complete honesty, and I have always believed that if your intent is right, the game will always take care of you.”
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He ended the video by saying he would continue to support the next generation of cricketers. With his retirement now official, attention will shift to whether Kolkata Knight Riders appoint a new captain for the next IPL season.
FAQs:
Why did Ajinkya Rahane retire from international cricket?
Ajinkya Rahane said the timing felt right to retire, thanking cricket for a journey where representing India was always his greatest honour.
What are Ajinkya Rahane’s international cricket records and stats?
Rahane finished with 5,077 Test runs, 2,962 ODI runs and 375 T20I runs, playing 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is for India.
