India’s veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane is delighted to make a comeback into the Test team. After players like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer were unavailable due to injury, Rahane was added to the WTC Final on the back of his good form in the domestic circuit and the IPL 2023.
The right-hander played at his best in IPL 2023, scoring 326 runs in 11 innings at an average of 32.60 and an impressive strike rate of 172.48. Thus, he impressed with his blistering strike rate and he was able to hit the ground running on most occasions.
Ergo, he played a crucial role in taking CSK to their fifth IPL title as they defeated GT by five wickets (DLS method) in the final. In fact, Rahane doesn’t have a great record of playing in the England conditions. He has scored 729 runs in 15 Test matches at an average of 26.03 while playing in England and thus he will be looking to turn a corner in the WTC Final.
Rahane had last played a Test match for India when the national team played against South Africa in January 2022. Subsequently, he was dropped from the Test team for the home Test series against Sri Lanka and Australia after inconsistent performances.
“Really happy to be back with the Indian team after 18-19 months. This is something really special for me. I just want to keep continuing my batting form, don’t want to think too much about the format, T20 or Test cricket. The way I am batting right now, I don’t want to complicate things, the more I keep it simple, it will be better. It was an emotional moment for me. When I got dropped, the support from my family was massive, really important,” Ajinkya Rahane said in a video posted by BCCI.
Rahane was also able to prove his mettle in the Ranji Trophy as he scored 634 runs in 11 innings, including two hundreds, at an average of 57.63. The former vice-captain added he worked hard on his batting and fitness to return to the Test squad.
“Playing for India matters a lot for me. I worked hard on my fitness, my batting, my game plan, went back to domestic cricket, had a very good domestic season for Mumbai. When I got the call, that moment was really emotional for me and my family as well,”
The WTC final between India and Australia will be played at the Oval from June 7.
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