Indian cricket’s most calm and dependable star has said goodbye to international cricket. Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane, who is 38 years old, has announced his retirement. His last match for India was three years ago. His career lasted for more than 12 years since his debut in 2011 and he played 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is.
After his retirement, his childhood coach Pravin Amre praised him a lot. He said Ajinkya Rahane’s biggest quality was that he always stood up when the team was in trouble. He especially talked about India’s famous tour of Australia in 2020-2021.
Pravin Amre remembered how India was bowled out for just 36 runs in the Adelaide Test and the team was very low on confidence. He said that after that, what from the front Rahane did in the Melbourne Test was amazing. He not only led the team from the front but also scored a brilliant hundred. Pravin Amre said this showed both his great batting skills and his great leadership quality, when he helped the team beat the strong Australian team in their own home after being morally down.
Pravin Amre also said that Rahane was always like a silent warrior. He said Rahane had this attitude from the beginning that whenever the team needed him, he would be there. The coach is very proud of him because most of his best innings came in difficult situations and that is the real art of batting.
The former Mumbai coach also went back to Ajinkya Rahane’s First-Class debut. He said Rahane’s debut was special because it was against Karachi Urban at the National Stadium in Karachi in Pakistan and he scored a hundred in his very first match. He said that innings showed the spark in him, playing for Mumbai and scoring a hundred in the first game. He said that was the moment he felt this boy has a lot of cricket left in him and has the potential to play for India.
Among all of Ajinkya Rahane’s great innings, Pravin Amre said his 103 runs at Lord’s during India’s 2014 tour of England was very special. He said Lord’s had a green top wicket and to perform there is always special. He said he was very happy to see Rahane’s name on the honours board at Lord’s, as that knock played a big role in India’s famous win.
But according to Pravin Amre, Rahane’s biggest moment as a leader was the 2020-2021 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he led an injured and weak Indian team to a historic 2-1 series win in Australia.
Pravin Amre compared that win to the Kargil war. He said he had spoken to Ajinkya Rahane at that time after India lost the Adelaide Test and Rahane became captain. He said the situation was exactly like the Kargil moment because the opponents were on the top and the Indian team was down but from there, they went on to win the series, just like our soldiers overcame difficult situations against an enemy sitting on higher ground.
