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Ajinkya Rahane has been roaring with the bat for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Rahane, who rediscovered himself for the T20 set up, is scoring runs with a stunning strike rate of 199.04. Rahane already has 209 runs under his belt in a total of five matches and has also played couple of match-winning knocks for the four-time champions CSK, who are reigning supreme in the IPL 2023's points table.
The Midas Touch of MS Dhoni seems to have worked wonders for Rahane, who was sidelined from India's Test set-up owing to his inconsistent show with the bat. But Rahane toiled hard and proved his mettle in the Ranji Trophy 2023 season and in the ongoing IPL. Riding on his recent exploits the 34-year-old star batter was selected in India's squad for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia which is slated to kick off from June 7 at the Oval.
Meanwhile, it has been learnt that Dhoni was the man behind Rahane's return to India's fold. According to a report by the Times of India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) consulted CSK skipper Dhoni for Rahane's selection in India's Test squad for the all-important WTC 2023 final.
However, it will be interesting to see whether Rahane gets a chance in India's playing XI for the WTC final.
After his dismal outing with the bat in the South Africa series Rahane was dropped from the squad but he didn't give up and went back to the domestic set-up to figure out his shortcomings. He succeeded in his efforts and piled lots of runs in the Ranji Trophy with his spectacular batting and drew selector's attention yet again. Rahane amassed 634 runs in just seven Ranji Trophy matches at an impressive average pf 57. He followed it by putting on a show in the ongoing cash-rich league where he has showed his new avatar.
Meanwhile, Rahane also penned an emotional note on his official LinkedIn profile in which he recalled his cricketing journey and talked about his hardships which came his way in his cricketing career and ultimately scripted his India comeback.
"In my career as a professional cricketer, I have realised that the journey is not always smooth sailing. There are moments when things don't go as planned, and it becomes tempting to get bogged down by the result. However, I have learned that it is essential to stick to the process and not let the outcome affect our focus,” Rahane wrote on LinkedIn.
“As I look back on my career, I realize that the moments when I stuck to the process, despite the unfavourable result, were the ones that taught me the most. These are the moments that helped me grow as a person and as a cricketer. I realized that the times when I let the result dictate my approach were not my finest moments. Sticking to the process is not only essential in cricket but in any field that demands excellence. It helps us focus on the things that we can control and take ownership of our actions. When we focus on the process, we don't get overwhelmed by the outcome, and it keeps us motivated to keep working towards our goals.
"As someone who has been in the spotlight for several years, I know that the expectations can be overwhelming. However, I have learned to not let the pressure get to me and focus on the things that I can control. It is the same advice that I would give to anyone who is looking to advance in their field.
“So, let us all focus on the process and trust in our abilities. The results will follow, but until then, let us keep working hard and keep pushing ourselves towards excellence,” Rahane concluded.
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