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.
Taking to social media platform Instagram, the veteran batter shared a video to confirm his retirement decision.
"The reality of life is that everything has a beginning and everything has an end. When the time comes, you simply have to respect it and move forward. I have always relied on timing in my batting and have always understood its importance. Today, I feel the timing is right for me to move on and announce my retirement from international cricket and all formats," Rahane said.
Ajinkya Rahane established himself as a mainstay of India's middle order when the team dominated the 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 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, 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.
Following his emotional farewell video on social media, the Indian cricket community extended best wishes to Ajinkya Rahane for his second innings and congratulated him on a fine cricketing career.
Here are the reactions:
