Ajinkya Rahane was once seen as the most reliable batsman in the Indian middle order. The Mumbai batsman gained recognition after his impressive centuries at Lord’s and the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the 2014 trips to England and Australia.
In recent years, his performance has deteriorated significantly, resulting in his exclusion from the Indian team. His last appearance for India was in the Cape Town Test in January 2022.
Here, we will look into the difficulties faced by the former Indian vice-captain and whether or not he can make a successful return.
When did Ajinkya Rahane’s situation begin to worsen?
The 34-year-old cricketer has played 82 Test matches for India, accumulating 4931 runs with an average of 38.52, consisting of 25 half-centuries and 12 centuries. His cricket career can be divided into two parts, one before and one after his 188 runs in Indore in October 2016 against New Zealand, which is also his highest Test cricket score. The following tables shows the detailed analysis of Rahane’s first 29 and next 53 Tests:
The first 29 Tests
| Matches | 29 |
| Runs | 2209 |
| 100s | 8 |
| 50s | 9 |
| Average | 51.37 |
The next 53 Tests
| Matches | 53 |
| Runs | 2722 |
| 100s | 4 |
| 50s | 16 |
| Average | 32.02 |
Is Ajinkya Rahane capable of regaining his spot on the Indian cricket team this year?
It seems unlikely that Rahane will rejoin the Indian team at this time. Shreyas Iyer has claimed the No.5 spot and the competition for this position is very strong. Despite his impressive performance in Sydney in 2021, Hanuma Vihari has not been given many opportunities after that. Rahane, who will be 35 this year, does not have youth on his side.
The decision to choose Suryakumar Yadav for the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy when Iyer was injured has indicated that Ajinkya Rahane may have lost his chance to be selected.