Former India batter Wasim Jaffer said that Ajinkya Rahane could finish his career with more than 20 Test centuries. He said this after Rahane announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Thursday, July 30. Rahane played for India in 195 matches across formats, smashing 8,414 runs at an average of 35.95, including 51 half-centuries and 15 centuries as well. He also enjoyed a lot of success in Test cricket, featuring in 85 matches and scoring 5,077 runs, which came at an average of 38.46, with 26 fifties and 12 centuries as well.

Speaking during a discussion on his YouTube channel (Wasim Jaffer Official), he said: “But knowing Ajinkya as well as I do, having played so much cricket with him, I always felt he could have achieved even more. In the number of Test matches he played, he could have easily scored 6,500 or even 7,000 runs. In my opinion, he also had the ability to finish with more than 20 Test centuries.”

“I think he was a tremendous servant of Indian cricket, someone who was extremely dedicated and hardworking, very similar to what Rahul Dravid was in his time. Ajinkya Rahane played some magnificent innings. To go on and play 85 Test matches and score more than 5,000 runs is a remarkable achievement,” he again added.

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However, Wasim Jaffer also shared some of Ajinkya Rahane’s finest Test knocks, including his centuries in England and Australia, as well as his twin tons at home against South Africa.

He said: “He played some truly remarkable innings. His century at Lord’s, his hundred at Melbourne after India had been bowled out for 36, when he led from the front, and the twin centuries against South Africa in Delhi are among the knocks that really stand out. I also remember the century he scored alongside Virat Kohli in Melbourne during the 2014 Test series. Those were some exceptional innings.”

“Even so, I always felt that a Test average of 38 didn’t truly reflect the kind of cricketer he was. In my opinion, he was someone who could have averaged 45 or even 50. He was a wonderful ambassador of the game and a fantastic role model for young cricketers. He went about his business quietly, without seeking attention, but always got the job done. He was one of the key soldiers of Virat Kohli’s Indian Test team, and now one of those soldiers has retired,” he concluded.