Ajinkya Rahane Retires: Cricket Legends Celebrate His Stellar Career
Ajinkya Rahane Announces Retirement from International Cricket
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 30: Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Suryakumar Yadav, and KL Rahul, all prominent figures in Indian cricket, have expressed their admiration for Ajinkya Rahane, who announced his retirement today. They extended their best wishes for his future endeavors.
Rahane, a key player in India's middle order since the early 2010s, concluded his impressive 14-year international career, which featured numerous standout performances across all formats, particularly in Test matches. His final appearance for India was in a Test against the West Indies in 2023.
Yuvraj Singh took to Instagram to congratulate Rahane, stating, "Congratulations Jinks on a remarkable career! One of the finest from this generation to represent the country in all formats and also lead successfully in some of the most prestigious games! You did well at every opportunity and here’s wishing you good luck for what comes next! Shakalaka baby @ajinkyarahane."
Harbhajan Singh praised Rahane on his official X account, calling him "a top-quality cricketer with a calm head and immense pride for the game." He highlighted Rahane's legacy of leading a second-string Indian team to a historic Test series victory in Australia in 2021.
Harbhajan wrote, "@ajinkyarahane88 Ajinkya Rahane, a top-quality cricketer with a calm head and immense pride for the game. His greatest legacy will always be leading India to that historic Test series win in Australia, along with countless classy innings. Congratulations on a wonderful career. Happy retirement, Jinks! Wishing you all the very best for the future."
Suryakumar Yadav also shared his thoughts on Instagram, stating, "It was an honour sharing the field and dressing room with you. Your calmness, resilience, and commitment to the game have inspired so many of us. Wishing you and your family all the very best for this exciting second innings. May this new chapter bring you as much joy and success as the last."
KL Rahul, who played alongside Rahane, also acknowledged his remarkable career in an Instagram story.
In his Test career, Rahane participated in 85 matches and 144 innings, amassing 5,077 runs, which included 12 centuries and 26 fifties, with an average of 38.46 and a strike rate of 49.50.
In One Day Internationals (ODIs), he played 90 matches and 87 innings, scoring 2,962 runs, with 3 centuries and 24 fifties, averaging 35.26 and a strike rate of 78.63. In T20 Internationals, he appeared in 20 matches and scored 375 runs, with no centuries and one fifty, averaging 20.83 and a strike rate of 113.29.
Rahane holds an undefeated record as a Test captain, with four wins, two draws, and the highest win percentage for an Indian Test captain with at least five matches.
His captaincy included a memorable comeback victory in Melbourne and a historic win at the Gabba, which ended Australia's long unbeaten streak at that venue during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which India won 2-1.
Rahane also led India to a significant Test victory against Australia in Dharamshala in 2017.