'My Only PR Is My Cricket': Ajinkya Rahane Still Hopeful About Making Comeback For Team India
According to Ajinkya Rahane, who last played for India in July 2023, the fire is still burning inside him to play at the highest level.
Ajinkya Rahane, who last played for India in the two-match Test series against the West Indies in July 2023, is still hopeful about making a comeback for Team India. The 36-year-old batter is leading Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 these days and has scored 437 runs in eight matches played so far. In Mumbai’s quarterfinal match against Haryana last week, Rahane scored 31 and 108 runs to help the defending champions secure a big win by 152 runs and book a place in the semifinal match.
Ahead of Mumbai’s semi-final match against Vidarbha at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, Rahane, while speaking to the Indian Express, has once again said that the fire is still alive in him to make India come back.
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“I’m more experienced but still feel young. I’m fit enough to compete at the highest level. I am passionate and love this game. There is hunger to do well. I never get satisfied with my game and don’t take things for granted. The fire is still burning inside me to play at the highest level. I feel there’s more cricket left in me," Rahane said.
Despite playing many match-winning knocks for India in all three formats of the game since making his international debut against England in 2011, Rahane has not made headlines like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara. According to the captain of the Indian team that defeated Australia 2-1 in the four-match Test series played Down Under in 2020-21, his focus was always on playing cricket, but now he has realised that staying in the news is also important.
“I was always shy; now I have opened up. My focus has been to play cricket and go home. Nobody told me that going ahead, certain things will be needed. Today also, sometimes I feel ki bus cricket khelo, ghar jao. Now I am told I need to speak up and talk about my hard work. People say you need to be in the news … I don’t have a PR team; my only PR is my cricket. I have now realised that staying in the news is important. Otherwise, people think that I’m out of the circle," Rahane said.
Despite being out of Team India for almost two years now, Rahane said his goal is to make another comeback.
“There is still fire and passion in me. I’m playing Ranji Trophy at the moment, trying to give my all to the Mumbai team. The goal is clear—to make another comeback. When I was dropped a few years ago, I made runs and was picked for the World Test Championship final and then was dropped again. But what is in my control? To play."
“Somewhere I feel I can still serve the Indian team. Cricket is still left in me," he added.
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