Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane, commonly known as Ajinkya Rahane is among the few cricketers in the history of Indian cricket, who contributed heavily but never got the due they deserved. Born on June 6, 1988, in Maharashtra's Ashwi Khurd into a middle-class family, Rahane made his way into the Indian cricket team after a series of hurdles. Right from an early age, he developed a strong interest in cricket, and at the age of seven, his father, Madhukar Baburao Rahane took him to a small coaching camp in Mumbai's Dombivli area.
Due to financial issues, Ajinkya Rahane's father was unable to send him to a proper cricket academy. However, it was the former's love for the game that compensated for the same, as he made the most out of his training at a coaching centre in Dombivli. In the following years, Rahane started making significant developments in his skills as a cricketer, which convinced his father to take the next big step.
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At the age of 17, Ajinkya Rahane started training under former Indian batsman, Pravin Amre, who improved his game significantly. It was a major turning point in his life, as his family was cutting off their other expenses to pay the fee of his coaching centre. However, as everyone expected, Rahane repaid his parents' faith in him by making his first-class debut at the age of 19 for Mumbai in their match against Karachi Urban in the Mohammad Nissar Trophy in September 2007. The youngster created a stir back then when he scored a century in his debut match against a strong side from Pakistan.
In the same year, Ajinkya Rahane made his List A debut for Mumbai in their crucial match against Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Once again, he proved the mettle of his potential as he formed a stellar partnership of 171 runs with Wasim Jaffer.
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In the following years, he continued to shine in domestic cricket, which paved the way for his entry into the Indian cricket team. He made his T20I debut against England on August 31, 2011. The following month, on September 3, 2011, he was selected for India's ODI team. However, he made his Test cricket debut against Australia on March 22, 2013.
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Ajinkya Rahane is one of the few players in the history of the Indian cricket team, who has scored more than 1000 runs in a single Ranji season. Not only this, but he also has a series of records to his name. From being only the fifth Indian batsman to score centuries in each innings of a Test to the most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in a single match (8 catches), and only the ninth player to win the first Test match as a captain. Ajinkya Rahane is also the first Indian to win the 'Player of the March' award at the World Test Championship. He was the first Indian batsman to score a century in the World Test Championship and only the fourth Indian batsman to post a Test century on his first appearance at Mecca of Cricket, Lord's.
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Once, in an old interview with CricTracker, Ajinkya Rahane opened up about the beginning of his journey as a cricketer. The sportsperson clearly stated that he came from a very humble background and was unable to afford a rickshaw ride. The cricketer further revealed that it was his mother, who used to carry his heavy cricket kit and his younger brother, while on his way to his cricket academy. Recalling the hardships of his life and how his mother did everything to make his life comfortable, Ajinkya Rahane thanked his mother for her sacrifices. He said:
"My cricketing journey started in Dombivli. I still remember my mother used to walk with me with my kit bag in one hand and my brother in her other arm and we used to walk 6-8 kms one way. We could not afford rickshaw fare at that time. Often I used to get tired and so I would ask my mother to take a rickshaw but she also did not have an answer to that. So once in a week, we used to take a rickshaw ride."
Further, in the same interview with CrickTracker, Ajinkya Rahane opened up about his father and admitted that just like his mother, his daddy was also committed to doing everything to make him a cricketer. Recalling a sweet anecdote from the past, Rahane revealed that his father came with him on his first day of training at his new academy from Dombivli to CST. However, the next day, Rahane's father told him to go by himself, as the doting daddy wanted to make his son independent. He said:
"I am here because of my parents. I am still the same Ajinkya Rahane. My family has sacrificed a lot for me so it was my dream to do something for them. I had seen that during my train journeys when I was 7. My father came with me on my first day from Dombivli to CST and dropped me and went to work. The second day he told me that now on I had to travel alone. They used to take me to cricket practice and never interfered or questioned about my performance."
Ajinkya Rahane was signed by Chennai Super Kings ahead of the Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL) at a price tag of Rs. 50 lakhs from Kolkata Knight Riders. The cricketer not only became one of the most likeable players of IPL 2023 but also played a key role in Chennai Super Kings winning the 2023 IPL title. It was Rahane's first-ever title, and he earned a special place in the hearts of CSK fans.
However, after just one year, in IPL 2024, a section of CSK fans started advising Ajinkya Rahane to retire. Yes! You read it right. Rahane made just nine runs in twelve balls in CSK's crucial match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The disappointing performance left CSK fans absolutely furious, and some of them wasted no time trolling the cricketer.
It will be interesting to see whether Rahane will be able to make a comeback once again in his career, just like he has done on numerous occasions. After all, he is the same player, whose knocks made CSK win their fifth trophy.
What are your thoughts on Ajinkya Rahane's cricketing career? Do you think the cricketer got the recognition he deserved for his contribution to Indian cricket? Let us know.
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