Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra feels Ajinkya Rahane shouldn’t be added to India’s limited-overs sides despite his excellent performances in IPL 2023. However, Rahane was recalled to India’s Test side for the World Test Championship (WTC) final based on his stunning shows in domestic cricket and for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL as well. He did well for India in the WTC final and has been retained in the Test side for the West Indies tour but he was ignored for the ODIs as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “Good question but it will not happen and it shouldn’t happen either. We recently heard Dada’s (Sourav Ganguly) thinking as well, that why was he made the vice-captain and before that, I had also posted a video that you were out for 18 months, made a comeback, did well and suddenly you are the vice-captain of the Indian Test team. Nothing against Rahane but it shows the thinking or mentality a little that what are you doing. T20Is and ODIs – I think that bus has already left.”
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Ajinkya Rahane has scored 3337 runs in the 110 limited-overs internationals he has played. He last featured in an international white-ball game in February 2018 and he is unlikely to be in India’s scheme of things currently. Rahane hit 326 runs at a great strike rate of 172.48 in 11 innings for CSK in IPL 2023 as well.
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“There is no doubt that Ajinkya Rahane scored runs in the IPL but where did Ajinkya Rahane score runs in the IPL? He scored the fastest fifty at one point and then he batted amazingly well at the Eden Gardens but certain surfaces and the powerplay. After that, the form kept on dipping, especially on a slow pitch like Chennai. In any case, I feel you will have to look forward, you cannot turn and go backwards. There is already no place in batting. So Ajinkya Rahane in my opinion – no, sorry Ajju,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
