Ajinkya Rahane Steps Back: What This Means for Mumbai's Ranji Trophy Campaign
Ajinkya Rahane's Departure from Ranji Trophy Matches
New Delhi: Veteran cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has announced that he will not participate in the last two Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai. The team is set to face Hyderabad from January 22 to 25, followed by a crucial match against Delhi at the MCA-BKC ground from January 29 to February 1.
Rahane has reportedly communicated to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he will be stepping away from the remaining red-ball season due to 'personal reasons.'
A source mentioned, "We will be selecting the Mumbai squad for the next stage of the league, and Rahane has confirmed his unavailability for the last two red-ball fixtures," as reported by a local media outlet.
Prior to the 2025-26 domestic season, Rahane stepped down from his role as Mumbai's captain, stating, "I think it’s the right moment to nurture a new leader." Following this, MCA appointed Shardul Thakur, an all-rounder for India, as the new captain of the 42-time Ranji champions.
During Rahane's tenure as captain, Mumbai clinched the Ranji Trophy in the 2023-24 season, breaking a seven-year championship drought. They also reached the semifinals last season, where they were defeated by Vidharbha by 90 runs. Under his guidance, Mumbai also secured the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last season, with Rahane emerging as the tournament's top run-scorer, and won the Irani Trophy in 2024-25.
In first-class cricket, Rahane ranks second on Mumbai's all-time run-scorers list, amassing 6,141 runs in 80 matches at an impressive average of 57.18 from 2007 to 2025, trailing only behind Wasim Jaffer, who scored 8,178 runs from 1997 to 2015. Rahane has also achieved 19 centuries for Mumbai in first-class cricket, second only to Jaffer’s 29.
Throughout his domestic career, Rahane has participated in 205 first-class matches, 192 List A matches, and 284 T20 matches. He has accumulated 14,209 runs in 346 first-class innings at an average of 44.96, 6,853 runs in 187 List A innings at an average of 39.84, and 7,242 runs in 267 T20 innings at an average of 29.92.