Rahane revealed that he managed online pressure by deleting social media apps during series.
Rahane established himself as a mainstay of India's middle order when the team held the No.1 Test rankings from 2016 to 2021. He was also a key member of the limited-overs side until 2018.
Days after his retirement, Rahane revealed that he managed online pressure by deleting social media apps during series, following key advice from Ben Stokes during the IPL 2017 season.
Instead of browsing comments, he spent his downtime in hotel rooms reading books, watching Netflix, talking to family, or ironing his match kit.
"I delete all the social media apps when the series is on. But no one advises us to, and that's just my own advice to myself. I remember Ben Stokes advising me not to see social media in 2017 when we played together in the IPL. Creating a routine helped me individually deal with this once I am in my room. Just things like watching something on Netflix or some other app, reading a book, chatting to family, and ironing my clothes for the next day," Rahane said on Overlap Cricket YouTube channel.
Rahane relied on a designated social media team during cricket tours to manage his posts, maintain focus, and avoid the temporary temptation of reading online comments.
"I have my team who manage everything. Whatever I've to post, I generally send them the photo, and if there is anything to be approved, they'll send it to me. This really helped me a lot on tours. There is a temptation to log in to these apps when you have done well and see all the comments. But that's just temporary; what people talk about you," he added.
Rahane 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.
The 38-year-old holds one of the rarest leadership records. In 6 Tests as captain, he remained completely undefeated, 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 the Melbourne Cricket Ground to rally the team, eventually orchestrating a legendary 2-1 series victory in Australia.
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.