Under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, Mumbai ended the eight-year drought and recorded their 42nd Ranji Trophy title win on March 14 after beating Vidarbha by 169 runs. Rahane struggled with the bat throughout the season but regained his form in the second innings of the final with a 73-run knock which set the foundation for a big total. After the Ranji Trophy triumph, Rahane is content with himself and aims to continue his new-found form in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“I played the same way (as before) in the domestic season also but lost my wicket. I am not in bad form and you saw this in the final. I am happy that I regained my form in the final and that too when the team needed me the most,” Rahane told Sports Tak.
Rahane feels it is just a bad phase
Rahane refuses to look at the negatives and considers it as just a bad phase. He wants to bat in the IPL like he has throughout his career.
“You go through bad phases sometimes. You score runs but get out. This is a part of the game. Every cricketer faces a slump in form in his career. But I am happy with myself. I will try to do the same in IPL and you know I don't talk much. I will play the way Ajikya Rahane is known for,” he said.
Rahane vows to work hard after Mumbai’s Ranji triumph
Rahane further said that for him the team comes first and even though he did not have a stellar season with the bat, Mumbai’s triumph has made him happy.
“Ups and downs are part and parcel of the game. I never thought for myself, for me the team has always come first. This time I did not score that many runs with my bat, but still I am happy that the team became champion. Bad times come in the life of every player. You have to keep working hard to get out of it,” he added.
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Rahane will be seen in action when defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) led by MS Dhoni take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2024 season opener on March 22.
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