Ajinkya Rahane last represented India in the series of tests against the West Indies in July 2023 and is confident about his return to Team India. The 36-year-old batter is currently captaining Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, where he has scored a total of 437 runs in eight matches. His recent outings have been encouraging, depicting Rahane’s determination in reclaiming his place in the Indian team.
Rahane shone with his captaincy and batting against Haryana in the quarterfinals. He scored 31 and 108 runs and helped the defending champions qualify for the semifinals by winning comfortably by 152 runs. With this performance, Rahane has sent a wake-up call to the selectors, showcasing his ability to deliver in pressure situations and lead his side to glory.
“I’m more experienced but still feel young”- Ajinkya RahaneÂ
Speaking to the Indian Express ahead of Mumbai’s semi-final encounter against Vidarbha at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, Rahane reiterated his desire to see India win.
“I’m more experienced but still feel young. I’m fit enough to compete at the highest level. I am passionate and love this game. There is hunger to do well. I never get satisfied with my game and don’t take things for granted. The fire is still burning inside me to play at the highest level. I feel there’s more cricket left in me,” Rahane said.
“I was always shy; now I have opened up. My focus has been to play cricket and go home. Nobody told me that going ahead, certain things would be needed. Today also, sometimes I feel ki bus cricket khelo, ghar jao. Now I am told I need to speak up and talk about my hard work. People say you need to be in the news… I don’t have a PR team; my only PR is my cricket. I have now realised that staying in the news is important. Otherwise, people think that I’m out of the circle,” Rahane added.
