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India's out-of-favour veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane, in an honest confession, said that the Indian selectors should have considered him for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2025 as the team needed him.
Ajinkya Rahane sends strong message to selectors after heroic 159 in Ranji Trophy
Rahane cracked a robust 159 in the Ranji Trophy clash against Chhattisgarh on a rain-affected day before opening up on being overlooked for Border Gavaskar 2024-25 series. The 37-year-old batter strongly dismissed the idea that age was a factor in the selection decision.
“It’s not about the age. It’s about the intent. It’s about the passion for the red ball and the hard work you put in the middle. So I don’t believe in that completely. In Australia, you see, Michael Hussey made his debut 30s. Still he made runs. Experience matters in red ball cricket. I thought, personally, the Indian team needed me in Australia," Rahane said as quoted by Indian Express.
Rahane, the tactical mastermind behind India's memorable turnaround in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar series, hasn't featured in the Test squad since the tour to the West Indies in 2023. This omission followed a challenging run of 31 innings without a century, during which he only managed four half-centuries, shining only sporadically.
Experienced player like me should get more chances: Rahane
Rahane, who brought his 42nd first class hundred on October 26, did show signs of a major resurgence during the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia, where he posted scores of 89 and 46. However, despite this strong performance, he received only one more Test opportunity. He returned to the subject of his non-selection by again challenging the emphasis placed on the age factor.
“After 34-35 players are old. Players are always looking to do well. Players are always looking to give their best. And if someone is really passionate about playing red ball cricket. I think selectors should look into it. Because they come and watch the game. Every time it’s not about the performance. It’s about the intent and the passion and how you play with the red ball. I thought an experienced player like me should get more chances. And there was no communication. I can focus on only the controllable things which I am doing right now. But as I said, the Indian team needed me in Australia and I was fully ready for it,” he added.
The 37-year-old then heaped praise on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli following latter's superb show in the third ODI against Australia. Rahane cited Rohit and Virat examples as counter-examples to the age argument. He noted that Rohit top-scored in two of India's games and was rightly awarded the Player of the Match. Similarly, Virat, after being dismissed for successive ducks, bounced back strongly to score a valuable unbeaten 71 in the Sydney match.
“There are many unwanted people. When they don’t know about the game, they still talk about a player who has been playing consistently with a good attitude and intensity. I always want to do well for Mumbai. They don’t know what it takes. As an international cricketer who has played for so many years, I think something clicked for me. But the support of my family and kids has been massive. They’ve always been with me. They said, ‘Daddy, you can do it’,” he concluded.
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