Rahane serves reminder as Mumbai enter semis
new delhi: Ajinkya Rahane. The very name evokes wonderful memories for cricket fans. He has been one of India’s most ebullient cricketers and yet not got his due. The number of times he stood as stand-in captain during the Virat Kohli era is no joke. If you rewind to the most famous BGT Series win before this disastrous trip in 2024/25, Rahane and coach Ravi Shastri had jammed up so well, four years ago.
What happened suddenly that the BCCI selectors dumped Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara from the Test squad is illogical. So much emphasis has been on young blood saying Rahane is old has been a massive mistake. After all, Sarafraz Khan and many more Young turks have just vanished. On Tuesday, the soft-spoken Rahane cracked 108 off 180 balls to pilot Mumbai into the Ranji Trophy semifinals. This knock was again well-timed and comes at a time when there has been so much chatter on how the Indian team will be preparing for the Test series in England later this year.
For those statistically minded, Rahane has been in sublime form throughout the 2024/25 season, all formats included. Be it the Ranji Trophy or the white-ball domestic version this season, Rahane has defined consistency. The ability to adapt, adjust and be a team man to the core puts him right on top. Sample this, he and Shreyas Iyer, who now has cemented his position at No.4 in the ODI team have been stellar performers for Mumbai. Shreyas got that big chance in the first ODI against England and went big. He scored in the second ODI as well.
The same luck has not smiled on Rahane, all because he is considered old. It’s a joke, really. You look at some of the leading lights like Lewis Hamilton, LeBron James and a few more, they are all at 40. Hamilton begins a new Formula One season with Ferrari, the most emotional team in the history of the sport. LeBron needs no detailing he is a legend in every sense if you follow even a bit of NBA. Likewise, Rahane continues to ply his trade in domestic cricket, still way below 40.
Given the failed experiments which India undertook in the middle order in 2024 in the Test team, Rahane deserves a chance. He is an inspirational man and at the same time so simple.
If simplicity is misconstrued as nicety, be kind to Ajinkya Rahane. There is chatter over who will be the next Kolkata Knight Riders captain in the IPL 2025 season. Rahane would be an obvious chance as leader, since he scored well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament.
