The CSK head coach revealed how the cricketer helped unlock Rahane's potential.
India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star batter Ajinkya Rahane has witnessed a resurgence in his career after falling down the pecking order.
After being excluded from the Test squad coupled with limited opportunities in the IPL, Rahane could have very well missed playing IPL 2023. His game was at such a point that he had to lower his base price for the 2023 auction to INR 50 Lakh. Eventually, CSK decided to secure his services since there were no other bidders.
However, his revelation in the middle-order for CSK last season along with his promising domestic form had earned him a berth in the WTC Final squad last year against Australia at the Oval.
In IPL 2023, Rahane impressed everyone with his big-hitting abilities and finished with 326 runs from 14 matches at an astounding strike rate of 172.
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However, the change hasn’t come without effort and CSK head coach Stephen Fleming extended credits to the person for unlocking Ajinjya Rahane’s true potential.
Speaking to Cricket Monthly, the Kiwi said,
“MS spent quite a bit of time with him in pre-season, and he’d had a career where he had been told to bat through an innings. Our assessment was that it just held Jinks back from being the player that he could be. So once we settled on our philosophy, it was clear. Jinks initially didn’t make the side, but the way he was training was so free and so beautiful that we were sure when his opportunity came that he would make an impact. And his first game exceeded expectation.”
He added, “I’ll be honest, I was surprised at how free Jinks got mentally. He was in such a good space, and he was just such a delight to watch. Even his net sessions were just so precise and aggressive and powerful that it was extraordinary watching that transition in a small space of time. And again, just that reassurance from MS was enough for Jinks to go, yep, and [derive] the confidence that that’s how we wanted him to play. If it doesn’t work, just keep going. Even try to hit it harder.”
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