‘I batted well in WTC final but got dropped… Abhi bhi cricket bacha hai mera’: Ajinkya Rahane eyes Test return

“I am batting well now. Mushtaq Ali went very well. I have scored runs in earlier matches. I am happy with my batting,” Rahane said following Mumbai’s entry into the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy with victory over Haryana.

Rahane, who made a surprise return to India’s Test squad after two years during the last WTC final against Australia in 2023, was the team’s top scorer (89 and 46) in an otherwise disappointing outing for the batters. After scoring 135 runs on a challenging surface, Rahane was picked as the vice-captain for the West Indies but after three low scores, the veteran batter was dropped.

Rahane said selection is not in his hands, but he believes he did his best in the WTC final and still has a lot to offer at the Test level.

“I batted nicely in the World Test Championship final in 2023 too. After that, I got dropped. Being selected or not selected is another matter, and the job of the selectors. But I thought I played well in that WTC final.”

“Domestic cricket has given me everything and because of that I still have that passion. I still have that love for the game. I respect Test cricket. I don’t know what will happen in the future. But abhi bhi cricket bacha hai mere mein (there’s still cricket left in me). As you all can see, I am playing with all my heart.”

Rahane was India’s vice-captain for a number of years under Virat Kohli and famously led them to victory in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia against all odds. The 36-year-old last played a Test for India in July 2023.

‘Right now, we have a Ranji Trophy semifinal to play’

India failed to make it to the World Test Championship final for the first time this year. It means that their next Test assignment will only be in June, a five-match tour of England. Rahane was asked if he is hoping to make a comeback into the Indian team for the tour.

“That’s in June. There’s still a lot of time. Right now, we have a Ranji Trophy semifinal to play. We’ll go home tomorrow, take a couple of days off, and then focus on the next match,” he said. The Mumbai captain has scored 437 runs at an average of 39.72 in the Ranji Trophy. In the Syed Mushtaq Alu Trophy, he smacked 469 runs at 58.62 with a strike rate of almost 165, which included three scores in the 90s.