Rahane finished his playing career with 5,077 runs and 12 centuries in Tests.
Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Thursday (July 30), ending a stellar international career that spanned over a decade for Team India.
Rahane established himself as a mainstay of India's middle order when the team held the No.1 Test rankings from 2016 to 2021.
The 38-year-old represented India in 85 Tests, amassing 5,077 runs at an average of 38.46, including 12 centuries and 26 fifties. He featured in 90 ODIs, scoring 2,962 runs with 3 centuries and 24 half-centuries. He played 20 T20Is, scoring 375 runs.
Rahane also led India in 6 Tests, clinching 4 victories and 2 draws. His finest hour came when he took over a battered, injury-depleted Indian squad after the infamous "36 all-out" collapse in Adelaide. The elegant right-hander hit a masterful century at MCG to rally the team, eventually orchestrating an iconic 2-1 series victory in Australia.
Reflecting on Rahane’s career, former India opener Wasim Jaffer remarked that the Mumbai veteran had the ability to score more than 20 Test centuries and 7,000 Test runs.
“But knowing Ajinkya as well as I do, having played so much cricket with him, I always felt he could have achieved even more. In the number of Test matches he played, he could have easily scored 6,500 or even 7,000 runs. In my opinion, he also had the ability to finish with more than 20 Test centuries,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
Jaffer further described Rahane as a dedicated and hardworking cricketer, similar to the legendary Rahul Dravid.
“I think he was a tremendous servant of Indian cricket, someone who was extremely dedicated and hardworking, very similar to what Rahul Dravid was in his time. Ajinkya Rahane played some magnificent innings. To go on and play 85 Test matches and score more than 5,000 runs is a remarkable achievement.”
Jaffer also recalled some of Rahane’s finest Test knocks, including his centuries in England and Australia and twin tons against South Africa at home.
“He played some truly remarkable innings. His century at Lord's, his hundred at Melbourne after India had been bowled out for 36, when he led from the front, and the twin centuries against South Africa in Delhi are among the knocks that really stand out. I also remember the century he scored alongside Virat Kohli in Melbourne during the 2014 Test series. Those were some exceptional innings.”
According to Jaffer, Rahane’s Test average of 38 doesn’t reflect his true ability, claiming the batter should have finished with an average of 45-50.
“Even so, I always felt that a Test average of 38 didn't truly reflect the kind of cricketer he was. In my opinion, he was someone who could have averaged 45 or even 50. He was a wonderful ambassador of the game and a fantastic role model for young cricketers. He went about his business quietly, without seeking attention, but always got the job done. He was one of the key soldiers of Virat Kohli's Indian Test team, and now one of those soldiers has retired.”
Beyond international colors, Ajinkya Rahane led Mumbai to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title in 2023-24, won an IPL trophy with the Chennai Super Kings in 2023, and captained the Kolkata Knight Riders in recent seasons.