New Delhi: Despite doing not much wrong at the international level, Ajinkya Rahane has found himself out of favour from the Indian team for the last two years. Not long ago, Rahane was one of the most reliable batters in the Indian Test line-up, cementing the No. 4 spot in the team by consistently delivering the goods on overseas tours. However, the seasoned batter lost his place in the team due to the vast talent pool, which has produced several young gems in recent years.
Time and again, Rahane has proved his mettle in red-ball cricket in county and domestic cricket. However, that hasn’t been enough for him to get back in the national team’s scheme of things in any of the three formats.
Introvert in nature, Rahane usually lets the bat do the talking but recently spoke about the selection snub heartache and revealed some flaws in the current selection committee.
The veteran Mumbai batter, in an interview with Indian Express, revealed that there was no communication from the stakeholders over his exit from the team after the 2023 World Test Championship final.
Rahane’s omission from the Indian team after strong WTC performance
The Mumbai skipper opened up on the painful exit from the team despite emerging as the top-scorer in the World Test Championship 2023 final. Rahane scored 89 in the first innings and 46 in the second after being recalled to the squad on the back of strong domestic and IPL performances, specifically for his experience in playing in English conditions. But he was dropped unceremoniously after the WTC final and has never returned to the team since then. Rahane lamented the way he was treated by the selectors despite his long service to the team.
He also revealed that he was urged to go and ask the management and the selectors for an explanation about his situation but he couldn’t do that as the ‘other person’ wasn’t ready to talk.
“I’m not the person who will go and ask why I’m being dropped. There was no communication. Many said ‘go and talk’ but one can only talk when the other person is ready to talk. If he is not ready, there is no point fighting. I wanted to talk one on one. I never messaged. I felt odd when I was dropped after the WTC final because I had worked hard for it. I thought I would be there for the next series. There is no point cribbing. I can only do what is in my hands. There is a belief that I will make a comeback,” the 36-year-old told Indian Express.
Players’ PR teams have become famous, rather infamous, for playing a big role in creating fan pressure over selection or non-selection. However, Rahane said he doesn’t have a PR team to push his case and that he focuses on his game to do the talking.
Ajinkya Rahane’s path to international comeback
After going through a lean patch in the ongoing Ranji campaign, the right-handed batter found his groove in the quarterfinal at Eden Gardens scored a superb century against Haryana and celebrated his 200th first-class appearance in grand style. Rahane has not given hope for his comeback to the Indian team and wants the selectors to notice his performances in the domestic circuit.
Ajinkya Rahane said “There is still fire & passion in me. I am playing the Ranji Trophy at the moment. The Goal is clear to make another comeback to Team India. There is a belief in me that I will make a comeback.” he added.
Rahane, who has scored over 5000 runs and 12 centuries in Test cricket, would aim to finish the Ranji campaign on a high and hope that it helps his bid for an international comeback in India’s next Test assignment, which coincidently will be in England, where he last played for his country.
Ajinkya Rahane revealed, that despite strong performances including a top score in the WTC final, he was unceremoniously dropped from the Indian cricket team without communication. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
