Veteran Mumbai batter Ajinkya Rahane believes that the BCCI selectors should have considered him for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024 as the Indian team needed his experience in Australian conditions.
Rahane’s comment comes after he slammed 159 in the Ranji Trophy clash against Chhattisgarh on a rain-marred day at BKC ground.
The 37-year-old strongly refuted the suggestions that age was a factor in the selection decision.
“It’s not about the age. It’s about the intent. It’s about the passion for the red ball and the hard work you put in the middle. So I don’t believe in that completely,” Rahane said, as quoted by The Indian Express.
“In Australia, you see, Michael Hussey made his debut 30s. Still he made runs. Experience matters in red ball cricket. I thought, personally, the Indian team needed me in Australia," he added.
Rahane was India’s best batter in the WTC 2023 final, returning with scores of 89 and 46 across two innings. However, his failure on the subsequent tour of West Indies saw him falling out of selection reckoning again.
The new selection committee, led by former India pacer Ajit Agarkar, decided to move on to the next generation of players.
“After 34-35 players are old. Players are always looking to do well. Players are always looking to give their best. And if someone is really passionate about playing red ball cricket. I think selectors should look into it. Because they come and watch the game. Every time it’s not about the performance. It’s about the intent and the passion and how you play with the red ball,” Rahane stated.
"I thought an experienced player like me should get more chances. And there was no communication. I can focus on only the controllable things which I am doing right now. But as I said, the Indian team needed me in Australia and I was fully ready for it,” he further remarked.
Rahane also cited the examples of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who batted brilliantly in the third and final ODI against Australia at SCG to script India’s nine-wicket victory.
While Rohit returned with scores of 8, 73, and 121* in three ODIs, Kohli bagged two successive ducks before scoring 74* in the series finale.
“When you have guys like Rohit and Virat, who have won so many matches for India especially in white ball cricket, you need that experience in the team. You cannot go with all newcomers, or the young ones in the team. Young blood is important, but if you have experience, the team will do well. It is especially the case in red ball cricket. I was really happy to see Rohit getting that 100,” Rahane said, before taking a dig at some of his critics.
“There are many unwanted people. When they don’t know about the game, they still talk about a player who has been playing consistently with a good attitude and intensity. I always want to do well for Mumbai. They don’t know what it takes. As an international cricketer who has played for so many years, I think something clicked for me. But the support of my family and kids has been massive. They’ve always been with me. They said, ‘Daddy, you can do it’,” he concluded.
