Another Team India cricketer has announced his retirement from cricket. The player is veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane, who made a significant impact in Test cricket, has announced that he is retiring from all formats of the game. He shared the news through a video posted on social media.
Rahane Great Career For Teamindia
Rahane enjoyed a long international career for India, playing 85 Test matches, 90 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 20 T20 Internationals. However, after losing his place in the national team over the past few years, he had been playing only domestic cricket. He also represented the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In his retirement video, Rahane said that he believes this is the right time to step away from cricket.
Rahane was regarded as one of India's dependable middle-order batters. He played a crucial role under Virat Kohli's captaincy, providing stability to the batting lineup. One of the highlights of his career came during India's 2020–21 tour of Australia, when he led the team brilliantly in Kohli's absence after the Adelaide Test. Under Rahane's captaincy, India overcame several challenges to script a historic series victory in Australia for the first time in consecutive tours.
Rahane also delivered several impressive performances in the IPL. However, a decline in form and advancing age eventually cost him his place in the Indian team. Since then, he had been limited to playing in the IPL and domestic cricket. Realising that opportunities at the international level were unlikely, Rahane decided to retire from all forms of cricket.
With this decision, Rahane is now eligible to participate in overseas T20 leagues. According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations, Indian players can play in foreign leagues only after retiring from all forms of Indian cricket. It remains to be seen whether Rahane will take up opportunities in overseas leagues.
