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'Never played to prove anything' - Abhishek Nayar lavishes praises on Ajinkya Rahane

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has opened up on working with Ajinkya Rahane, who is now a vital player of the franchise.

Rahane was picked as a backup opener by KKR, and since Alex Hales opted out of the tournament, he was given a chance to open in the tournament opener against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The 33-year-old grabbed the opportunity with both hands and played a match-winning 44-run knock for his side.

Labelling Rahane as a 'team man', Nayar lauded the KKR batter for his commitment to every side he plays for.

"Knowing Ajinkya, he has been someone who never played to prove anything to people. Someone who has always played because he enjoys playing this game. Also, he plays with the utmost desire to do well for his team," Nayar told KKR's official website.

"He's an absolute team man. If there was one player who would stand out and you can consider a proper team man, I think it's Ajinkya," he added.


Rahane was recently dropped from India's Test team and went on to play the Ranji Trophy in a bid to make a comeback. Although Nayar asserted that the Maharashtra-born cricketer has the calibre to return to the national team, his sole motive currently lies in winning a title for KKR.

"In terms of making a comeback [for India], I think he has always had that calibre. Like when he came back from the Test side to play first-class cricket for Mumbai, he got a hundred in the first game," he added. 

In the end, the former Mumbai batsman affirmed that Rahane isn't looking at the ongoing season of IPL to make a comeback to the national team. 

"Also, Rahane is someone who's always got runs. Even in the IPL he has been successful. I don't think he's approaching the IPL in terms of making a comeback," Nayar concluded.

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IPL 2022 | Bhanuka Rajapaksa tags Virat Kohli as 'Cristiano Ronaldo' of cricket

Stylish Sri Lankan batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa lit up the Indian Premier League (IPL) in his very first outing for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday. Batting at three during a 206-run chase, Rajapaksa smashed a 22-ball 44 with the help of two fours and as many as four sixes. Once again, it led to the discussions around his repeated omission from the national side. Back in January, Rajapaksa shocked the cricket world when he announced retirement from international cricket, following repeated omissions from the Lankan side due to fitness issues. He did take the resignation but still didn't find a place in the squad for the Indian tour. The IPL is the greatest platform for any international or local cricketer to make a mark at the global level, and Rajapaksa is determined to learn and grow by spending time with some of the greats of the game, including Virat Kohli. Virat is the gold standard in the modern era as far as fitness is concerned. Referring to Kohli as the 'Cristiano Ronaldo', Rajapaksa is determined to seek advice from the former Indian captain. "Outside of the team, Virat Kohli is always someone I could speak to and get some advice on fitness. He's at another different level when it comes to fitness," Rajapaksa told PTI. "To me, he is the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket for sure. The work he puts in you can obviously see the results. You can compare him to anyone when it comes to fitness or even skills-wise. He plays so hard and you can learn a lot by talking to him," he added. On the fitness over skill debate, Rajapaksa said that the latter is most important for him but conceded that one cannot succeed at the elite level without possessing peak fitness. "As a player, you need your fitness but it could be different from person to person. For me, of course, skill comes first. And then the fitness, but if you are not fit enough you definitely can't perform," the Sri Lankan cricketer concluded. Rajapaksa will be determined to continue with the good work in the forthcoming games and ensure he stakes a permanent claim in the starting XI for PBKS and Sri Lanka.