Ajinkya Rahane has an underwhelming average of just over 19 in 2021
Zaheer Khan feels that it’ll be difficult for Ajinkya Rahane to make a comeback in the Indian line-up given the bench strength and talent in the side.
Ajinkya Rahane’s place in the team has been under scanner due to continuous failures. Ever since he scored a hundred against Australia in Melbourne, there have been hardly any innings that Indian Test captain vice-captain would be proud of.
In the ongoing second Test match against New Zealand, Ajinkya Rahane was left out of the playing XI as he had a minor left hamstring strain, which he had suffered while fielding on the final day of the first Test in Kanpur.
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With injury ruling Rahane out of the second Test match against New Zealand, former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan feels that it’ll be difficult for the right-handed batter to make a comeback.
"If you're unfit, then let it be. It's not like if you get dropped from the team, you'll not get chance(s) to make a comeback. But, yes, it's difficult to get chances in this Indian team," Zaheer Khan told Cricbuzz.
Zaheer Khan pointed out that bench strength and talent Team India has got it’ll be difficult for Ajinkya Rahane to find himself in the playing XI. He remarked that even the players in the domestic circuit are knocking doors of the selectors and the players in the national team have to perform consistently to be in the team.
"You have to look at the bench strength and the talent the Indian team has got. Even the domestic players are pushing forward to make a claim. So, the players who are part of the Indian setup, they know that they have to perform consistently to remain in the team," he said.
Notably, Ajinkya Rahane has an unenviable average of just over 19 in 2021. With Shreyas Iyer scoring a century and half-century on his debut Test and Suryakumar Yadav also warming the bench it’ll be very difficult for Indian Test vice-captain to find his place back in playing XI.
(Cricbuzz inputs)