Ajinkya Rahane discussed his current Ranji Trophy campaign with Mumbai as well as his methods for developing as a player. He last played for India during the tour of South Africa, thus getting back into the middle order of the Indian batting order will be difficult.
While leading the team and scoring 532 runs in five matches thus far this Ranji Trophy season, the right-handed batter’s ascent to the top may be hampered by an unavoidable exclusion from the national contract list.
He will therefore probably spend a lot of time on the domestic circuit, with franchise cricket serving as a little break.
After being released by the Kolkata Knight Riders, he was signed by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the IPL 2023 mini-auction (KKR).
Stating that he is attempting to become the batter he was during his early days of playing cricket, Rahane spoke with PTI during Mumbai’s current Ranji match against Delhi, “I was thinking about old times and when I first came into Ranji team (back in 2007). How I used to play, and what was my thought process? I have gone back to the drawing board and I am trying to be the Ajinkya that I used to be in my initial days.”
He added, “The idea is to keep things simple. No major changes but small changes, skill-wise, now I have to be in the moment thinking for Mumbai and doing well for them. That’s on my mind completely.”
Shreyas Iyer has essentially taken Rahane’s place in India’s batting order. The other Mumbai batter has taken use of the situation to full advantage because it has been about 15 months since his legendary debut against New Zealand in Kanpur. Red-ball cricket has also seen the emergence of fresh middle-order contenders like Suryakumar Yadav, complicating Rahane’s comeback even further.
Sarfaraz Khan, another promising player who has been dominating the home circuit, was passed over by the selectors for the Border-Gavaskar Test series team.
Rahane commented on how the young people should respond to the most recent selection calls. He said, “My advice to them would be simple. Control the controllable and not dwell on things that are not in your hands. Just try and be in the moment and not think too far ahead.”
He further added, “You have to put your arm around guys who are going through rough patches. Important to give them the freedom to express themselves not only on the field but also off the field. The individual can come to me and talk to me about anything that’s going on in his personal life.”
Mumbai is currently in second place in Elite Group B of the Ranji Trophy competition. They have so far managed three victories, a draw, and just one loss.
