Veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane has been a notable selection in Team India’s squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, starting June 7 at The Oval.
Rahane was recalled to the Test side after Shreyas Iyer’s back injury opened a middle-order slot. The right-hander was dropped from the Test team in 2022 but he had a decent Ranji Trophy 2022-23 season, amassing 634 runs from seven games at an average of 57.63 while leading Mumbai.
Ahead of the WTC final, Rahane, in an exclusive chat with bcci.tv, opened up about his comeback in detail.
"Coming back after 18-19 months, whatever has happened, good or bad, I don't want to think about my past. I just want to start afresh and keep doing whatever I have been doing," Rahane said on the sidelines of India's training session at Arundel in Portsmouth.
Rahane travelled to UK for the WTC final on the back of his stunning exploits in IPL 2023 for CSK. He played a key role in CSK’s triumphant campaign, amassing 326 runs from 11 innings at a remarkable strike rate of 172.48 with two half-centuries.
"Personally enjoyed playing for CSK as I have been batting well throughout the season, even before IPL. I had a very good domestic season and I felt good. So this comeback was a bit emotional for me," Rahane stated.
"I want to bat with the same mindset and show same intent that I showed before coming here in IPL and Ranji Trophy. I would not like to think about format whether it is T20 or Tests. The way I am batting now, I don't want to complicate things and the more I keep it simple, better it is for me," he added.
Rahane thanked his family and friends for the support he received during his time away from the national team.
"It was (an) emotional moment for me. When I got dropped, the support I got from my family was massive and dream was to play for India and that was massive. Playing for India matters a lot for me and I worked hard on my fitness and went back to domestic cricket."
"Thanks to BCCI and selectors and when I went back to domestic cricket, the goal was to play for India -- be it Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or practice session, for me, every day that I was waking up, it was all about thinking that I can play for India again.
"What made my comeback possible was enjoying each and every moment, be it success or failure, and having no regrets. Learning from every individual in Mumbai Ranji team. You have to grow as a cricketer every single day, learning process shouldn't stop," he said.
Rahane, who had slammed a match-winning century in a Test match at Lord's in 2014, understands the difficulty of playing in England.
"It's all about mindset and reading the situation well, staying in (the) moment and playing it session by session. In England, you just don't look at the pitch but also keep an eye on the weather. In England, you never feel that you are in even if you are batting on 70," he remarked.
