Out-of-favour Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane has recently made a strong statement with the bat to keep his Test cricket ambitions alive for India. Playing for Mumbai in the KSCA K Thimmappiah Memorial cricket tournament against the KSCA Secretary’s XI, the 37-year-old registered a gritty 103, comprising 12 boundaries and two maximums before retiring out.
Rahane’s ton also helped his side earn a hard-fought draw in the four-day contest. In the first innings, he managed 26 off 46.
Prior to that, in their tournament opener against Assam, Rahane scored a fifty (66 off 110balls).
While his last India appearance has come during the 2023 West Indies tour, he has continued to collect a non-negotiable currency- runs- to keep his chances of a comeback alive.
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Rahane fell down the pecking order after the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) Final with younger stars being preferred. He was key member of the India side during the iconic 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia and also captained the Indian team after the 1st Test following Virat Kohli’s absence.
Despite the long absence, he has been extremely consistent with the bat to keep himself for a possible reckoning, especially with the retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara from the longest format.
He looked in good form in the last domestic season. Rahane enjoyed a spectacular Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) campaign, finishing as the top scorer with 469 runs in nine matches at an average of 58.62 and a strike rate of 164.56.
In the Ranji Trophy too, the dynamic right-hander looked in decent touch, scoring 467 runs in 14 innings, including a hundred in the quarterfinal against Haryana. In IPL 2025, Rahane was the top scorer for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with 390 runs in 13 games, averaging over 35.
Not only that, during the England Test series earlier this year, he had openly said about his desire for a comeback on air.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said, “I still want to play Test cricket. I am really passionate about playing Tests and at this moment I am enjoying my cricket. Just here for few days, I am carrying my trainers, my training clothes so that I can keep myself fit. Domestic season is starting so the preparations have just begun.”
India’s home Test season is set to begin next with a two-match IND vs WI series from October 2 and while it’s quite a stretch, it remains to be seen if there’s any luck that works in Rahane’s favour ahead of that.
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