Home
Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has displayed a promising return to form, scoring a commanding century for Mumbai just ahead of the domestic season. The 37-year-old, who has not announced his retirement, remains hopeful of a comeback to the national team. Despite being left out of the Indian squad, Rahane has consistently shown his determination to perform for Mumbai. The domestic team, however, has been struggling with their pre-season form. They will need to improve quickly as they prepare to face Jammu & Kashmir in Srinagar for their opening Ranji Trophy match on October 15.
Ajinkya Rahane roars with a stunning ton ahead of domestic season
Rahane’s recent century against KSCA Secretary XI in the K. Thimmappiah Memorial Cricket Tournament is a significant sign of his recovery in red-ball cricket. This performance comes after he stepped down from his role as Mumbai’s captain, allowing him to focus on his batting.
Ajinkya Rahane's free-flowing century was a standout performance, complemented by useful contributions from Pranav Kela (46), Musheer Khan (43), and Hardik Tamore (34)*. Their efforts helped Mumbai secure a draw, ending the four-day match with a score of 270/5. Rahane, who scored 26 in the first innings, used this tournament as an opportunity to regain his form before the upcoming domestic season. His performance builds on his previous effort of 66 runs in the first match against Assam.
Despite Rahane's strong play, Mumbai's pre-season form has been a concern. The team was eliminated from the KSCA tournament in the league stage after failing to secure a first-innings lead. This follows an earlier disappointing result in the Buchi Babu Tournament, where they also failed to advance to the knockout stage. These struggles highlight the need for the team to improve before their crucial Ranji Trophy opener.
In the first innings, KSCA batters Abhishek Ahlawat and Lochan Gowda played crucial roles, helping their team post a total of 280 runs. For Mumbai, Tushar Deshpande was the best bowler, taking three wickets.
In their reply, Mumbai's batting lineup struggled and was dismissed for just 182 runs in under 50 overs. Indian Test all-rounder Shardul Thakur provided some resistance with a fighting knock of 77. However, left-arm spinner Madhav Bajaj was the star of the innings, picking up an impressive five-wicket haul.
In the second innings, KSCA once again dominated, posting a massive total of 429. Druv P was the standout performer with an unbeaten 159, which put his team in a strong position. Despite KSCA's dominance, Mumbai managed to hold on and secure a draw.
Brief Scores: KSCA Secretary's XI 280 (Abhishek Ahlawat 52, Lochan Gowda 48, Dheeraj Gowda 45, Nikin Jose 37; Tushar Deshpande 3-40, Sylvester Dsouza 3-51) & 429 (Druv P 159 not out, Kruthik Krishna 77, Rajvir Wadhwa 57, Faizan Khan 53; Sylvester D'Souza 5-65) drew with Mumbai 182 (Shardul Thakur 77, Ajinkya Rahane 26; Madhav Bajaj 5-61) & 270-5 (Ajinkya Rahane retd out 103, Pranav Kela 46, Musheer Khan 43, Suved Parkar 36, Hardik Tamore not out).
ADVERTISEMENT
