After finishing as the top run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) T20 competition, he continued his outstanding form in red-ball cricket.
With a match-winning 108 against Haryana in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane carried on his stellar domestic cricket form this season, guiding his team to the semi-finals with ease.
After finishing as the top run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) T20 competition, he continued his outstanding form in red-ball cricket.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Ajinkya Rahane declined to discuss his chances of returning to the Indian team, stating that the selectors have the last say. In the 2023 World Test Championship final, he led India with 89 runs and added 46 in the second innings. He believes that his batting performance was good.
However, after a poor West Indies tour, he was dropped and hasn’t been picked since. Rahane remains focused on his current form, highlighting his strong performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Ranji Trophy this season.
“I am not thinking about the future at all,” Rahane said after Mumbai beat Haryana at Eden Gardens. “But I do know that I am batting well. I had a good performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. This Ranji Trophy season is going well too. 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”.
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Ajinkya Rahane has said that he has still a lot to offer. He emphasized his commitment to domestic cricket, saying his only goal is to play with a positive attitude and let things unfold naturally.
“In all this, I feel I have a lot of cricket left in me,” he said. “That’s why I am playing domestic cricket consistently. I just have one goal right now, and that is to play cricket with a positive mindset, and whatever happens after that, happens”.
As Mumbai’s captain this season, Rahane has been in good form, scoring 437 runs at an average of 39.72 in the Ranji Trophy. He was excellent in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring three scores in the nineties and amassing 469 runs at an average of 58.62, with a strike rate of 165.
Rahane expressed his love for cricket and acknowledged that domestic cricket shaped his career. He approaches each match with the same hunger and determination, completely focused on giving his all without thinking about the future.
“Domestic cricket has given me everything,” he said. “I still have that jazba (passion) within me. Before any match, I still have that desire and hunger that I possessed earlier. I don’t know about the future, but I do know I am far from done. That’s why I have been giving my 100% in domestic cricket”.
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