Ajinkya Rahane shows a new dimension in IPL
Will this knock bring Rahane back into the reckoning for a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final, one needs to wait and see.
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Ajinkya Rahane
Like an old antique firearm weapon kept in safe custody, Ajinkya Rahane seemed to have been kept stowed away. Sometimes, the rusty weapon is pulled out to be tested, if it can still fire. Well, on Saturday night, Rahane came out smoking in typical T20 style as Chennai Super Kings buried Mumbai Indians in a pile of debris at the Wankhede Stadium.
This historic stadium is the impregnable fortress of the Mumbai team in the Indian Premier League. That it was a Mumbaikar who came out firing, in staccato-like bursts, showed how Rahane was not going to become a relic. Indeed, he is a romantic relic who has served Indian cricket durably.
How many times Rahane has been stand-in Team India captain and delivered is a marvel. Yet, all those who are part of the Indian cricket system will agree, Rahane and R. Ashwin are two Indian cricketers who never got their due. ‘Why’ is not the question which can be answered, really, for Indian cricket is a conundrum.
Just to jog the readers’ memory, in the summer of 2021 in Australia, India pulled off a heist Down Under. Virat Kohli was on paternity leave and it was Rahane in command. He stood up and led with brilliance and the rest is history. Sadly, people thought Ajinkya Rahane was also history. There is a big difference between “was” and “is.” Maybe, that’s the point Rahane wanted to prove to a few people.
This was the first match Ajinkya Rahane was playing for CSK
In his own words, Rahane said after the match he still likes to contribute to the team he is playing for. He has done it many times, just that the white ball format may have been a bit of a mystery. At a time when the Mumbai Indian captain Rohit Sharma has once again become “No Hit from Ro Hit,”‘ Jinx, as Rahane is called, showed his class. The 19-ball half-ton was high octane. And for all those who think men in their mid-30s are spent forces, Rahane raged.
He will be 35 in June, and still leads Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. If there was a need for Rahane to show he is still relevant to cricket and still competes hard as a cricketer, the veteran has embraced Chennai Super Kings. To be playing in a team led by a 41-year-old captain — MS Dhoni — would have been nice for Rahane. He will get respect and his due. It’s the same CSK that also has Ravindra Jadeja, again not a youngster.
There is a common perception, IPL is just for Young Turks. No way, as some “oldies” have caught the imagination of fans, a revelation. Mind you, this was the first match Rahane was playing for CSK. Perhaps, a reminder he can still explode. Said Harbhajan Singh on television, “ There are no words to praise this knock from Rahane. This inning is going to be and will be remembered for years as Rahane has shown his true class. We had all forgotten about his batting style, but now we have a clear idea of his class.”
Well said, Bhajji. If all the commentators were lavish in praise for Rahane, a veteran of 159 matches in the IPL, it was well deserved. He had been with a team now in great form, Rajasthan Royals. Yet, to come and play in CSK, so late in his career shows how professionals preserve themselves. This is Rahane’s home ground for Ranji. That it came against Mumbai was a change in the script. Well, you cannot blame him.
Will this knock bring Rahane back into the reckoning for a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final, one needs to wait and see. The batting order in Tests floundered in the BGT Series. How nice is this, Cheteshwar Pujara is leading Sussex in County Cricket and clicking. Rahane is scoring in the IPL. It’s better to put runs on the board in any game than be a mere fossil!
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