Ajinkya Rahane, who last played for India in a two-match Test series against West Indies in July 2023, nevertheless stayed hopeful for a return to Team India. The 36-year-old current Mumbai Ranji Team captain has already made 437 runs in eight matches of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season. Rahane scored 31 and 108 against Haryana in the quarterfinal of the previous week to help the defending champions stamp their place into the semifinal with a huge 152-run victory.
While speaking to the Indian Express just ahead of Mumbai’s semi-final encounter against Vidarbha at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, Rahane said it again; the flame is still alive in him to play for India.
“I’m more seasoned now but still feel fresh. I’m fit enough to compete at the highest level. I’m passionate and love this game. There is hunger to do well. I never get satisfied with my game and don’t take things for granted. The fire still burns within me to play for the highest standards. I feel there’s still some cricket left within me,” Rahane said.
Unlike Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara, there isn’t much fanfare built around Ajinkya Rahane despite several match-winning knocks for India in all three formats of the game since his debut against England in 2011. As captains of a side that defeated Australia 2-1 in a four-match Test series Down Under in 2020 and 2021, Rahane would focus on cricket. Now, he believes staying in the spotlight is equally important.
He mentioned, “After being the shy youth back then, I have opened up now. My focus was on playing cricket and going home. Nobody told me that during the course certain things would be important. Even today sometimes, I feel ki bus cricket karo, ghar jao. Now I’m told I need to speak up and proclaim my efforts. People say you need to be in the news; there’s no PR agency for me—my only PR is my cricket. Now I’ve learned that being in the news matters; otherwise, people think I’m out of the circle.”
Although he has now been out of Team India for nearly two years, Rahane indicated that he did wish to make another Indian comeback.
“There still is that fire and passion inside me. Currently, I am playing the Ranji Trophy, trying my best for the Mumbai team. The aim is clear: to make another comeback. When I was dropped a few years back, I scored runs, made it to the World Test Championship final and was dropped again. But what is in my control? Play.”
“I still believe somewhere that I can serve the Indian team. There is still time left for cricket in me,” he added.
