Ajinkya Rahane Shines In Domestic Cricket (Source: @viratkohli_live/x.com)
Ajinkya Rahane has been a notable absence from Team India’s squad in recent years. After the last West Indies tour Team India’s very own ‘Jinks’ has not been seen in Team India’s jersey. But that doesn’t mean the star batter is away from cricket.
Rahane continues to shine on the domestic circuit, proving his class in both limited-overs and red-ball cricket. As the ace batter is set to lead Mumbai in the upcoming semifinal match of the Ranji Trophy, he believes the hunger for the game is still there in him.
Exceptional Performance At The Domestic Stage And Rahane’s Hunger
Despite being snubbed for Team India’s squad, Rahane never stayed away from the game. He continues to dominate the domestic circuit, consistently delivering standout performances for Mumbai. In the last Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he hammered 469 runs in just 9 matches, and his form has carried into the ongoing Ranji Trophy, where he has already amassed 437 runs at an average of 39.72. With those exceptional performances, he grabbed the attention.
“There is still fire and passion in me. I’m playing Ranji Trophy at the moment, trying to give my all to the Mumbai team. The goal is clear to make another comeback..” Rahane said.
On Rough Patches And Being Snubbed
In the game of cricket or any other sport highs and lows are compliments to each other. The sports world has seen a massive change in the post-COVID era. Since his last century in 2020, he has faced rough patches, leading to his exclusion from the national squad. But the batter has no regret as he thinks he was a valuable contributor to the team when needed.
“Post Covid, there has been a drastic drop in batting averages of everyone because of the kind of pitches we played on. Only the top order has the advantage on such tracks. I am not giving excuses. I don’t have any regrets because I know whenever the team wanted me to deliver, I did. Contributions are not necessarily in the form of big hundreds, it could be a 70, 80, or 50,” he said.
Age Is Just A Number For Rahane
In modern cricket, fitness is just as crucial as technique. Players follow strict routines to stay at the top of their game. Prioritizing this, Ajinkya Rahane, age is just a number where he still feels very young and the hunger to do better and better never goes off his mind.
“I’m more experienced, but still feel young. I’m fit enough to compete at the highest level. I never get satisfied with my game and don’t take things for granted. I feel there’s more cricket left in me.” Rahane said.
“As a batsman, one can play till 40. There are players who have played till the age of 39-40. What matters is fitness. We need more experienced players, plus a few youngsters, in the team. So that they can learn.” he added.
After performing exceptionally well in the group stage, the Ajinkya Rahane-led Mumbai is facing Vidarbha in the semifinal match of the ongoing season of Ranji Trophy. As Mumbai Is the undisputed king of this format, they are eyeing another successful domestic season.
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