Rahane on His National Team Snub: "I Played Well, Yet I Was Dropped"
Ajinkya Rahane, a key player for Team India, has expressed disappointment over his exclusion from the national squad. The veteran cricketer stated that he performed well in the previous ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final but remains uncertain why he was dropped. Rahane acknowledged that team selection is the responsibility of the selectors but maintained that he had played well. He also recalled scoring a century in that crucial match.
Despite missing out on a place in the national team, Rahane credited domestic cricket for keeping him motivated. He affirmed his readiness to contribute to domestic competitions, emphasizing his commitment to the game.
Rahane reiterated his deep love for Test cricket and said he remains hopeful about making a comeback to the Indian team. He expressed satisfaction with his batting performances in domestic tournaments, including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Ranji Trophy. The cricketer stated that he continues to score runs and believes he still has a lot of cricket left in him. With India’s upcoming five-match Test series against England on the horizon, Rahane remarked that anything could happen. For now, however, he remains focused on the Ranji Trophy semifinals.
Once known for his consistency in the Indian Test team, Rahane suddenly found himself out of favor. He played a crucial role as stand-in captain during India’s historic Test series victory in Australia and also scored a century in the 2023 WTC final. However, he was subsequently dropped from the squad. Currently, Rahane is leading Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, where he has played ten matches, scoring one century and guiding his team to the semifinals. He has also registered three scores above 90 and one above 80 in the tournament.
