If India are looking for a short-term option for the England series, Ajinkya Rahane is one of the options.
India might need to make plenty of changes in their playing XI if Virat Kohli decides not to continue in the longest format. Kohli has been a lynchpin of India’s batting unit for several years and bats at the most crucial batting position – No.4.
Hence, replacing him in the Test squad will be arduous, and the team must bring someone of high quality to succeed Virat. A short-term plan will be to find an ideal batter for the upcoming England tour, where India will also be without Rohit Sharma.
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If India are looking for a short-term option for the England series, Ajinkya Rahane is one of the options. While India have looked past him, they can recall him for this big series now that Kohli won’t participate.
As a batter, Rahane has shown good form in IPL 2025. He has been playing red-ball cricket continuously for Mumbai, and since the decks haven’t been too hard for batting in England, he can manage well.
Further, Rahane has previous experience playing in England and knows how to adapt to the conditions. He has 864 runs at an average of 28.80 in 31 innings, including six fifties and a century in England.
He has been on every England tour in the last few years. He was even recalled for the World Test Championship final, where he played a terrific knock in the first innings at The Oval.
Barring as a batter, Ajinkya Rahane can also help the new captain with his tactics since he has experience leading India. He has previously captained India overseas and understands how India’s Test side operates.
The Indian side on the England tour will be very young and require someone to guide them with precise tactics. Rahane is still Mumbai’s captain and knows how to manage young players.
He might not be the captain on the England tour, but his presence will bring some much-needed stability and a calm head. Hence, the selectors will be tempted to recall him.
It’s fine if they don’t look back and ignore Rahane, but the temptation will be there. It’s up to them to decide whether to opt for a short-term plan or build a team for the future.
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