Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Ajinkya Rahane never received the recognition he truly deserved for his outstanding leadership, drawing comparisons with former skipper Rahul Dravid, whose captaincy achievements were also often overlooked. Gavaskar’s remarks came after Rahane announced his retirement from all forms of cricket last week, bringing the curtain down on a distinguished career.

Known for his calm and composed personality, Rahane quietly established himself as one of India’s most dependable leaders. Whenever Virat Kohli was unavailable, the Mumbai batter stepped up to lead the Test side with remarkable success. His greatest achievement came during India’s unforgettable 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in Australia, a series widely regarded as one of the finest chapters in Indian cricket history.

Writing in his column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar praised Rahane’s impressive leadership record while highlighting how it failed to receive the appreciation it deserved. “His record as a skipper is exceptional, with four wins out of six and no losses. Like Rahul Dravid, who also had some terrific wins under his captaincy but never got the credit he deserved, Rahane’s leadership also hardly got the applause that it merited.”

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Sunil Gavaskar also pointed out what he believes is a long-standing trend in Indian cricket, where captains are often blamed for defeats but rarely celebrated for victories. “This is typical of Indian cricket. When the team wins, all praise goes to the individual achievers, be it batters or bowlers, but when the team loses, the captain and the coach get the blame.”

Rahane’s defining moment as captain came after India were bundled out for just 36 in Adelaide during the opening Test of the Australia series. With Kohli returning home for the birth of his first child and multiple injuries disrupting the squad, India appeared destined for defeat.

However, Rahane, alongside head coach Ravi Shastri, inspired a stunning turnaround. Under his composed leadership, India bounced back from a 0-1 deficit to seal a historic 2-1 series victory, including a memorable triumph at The Gabba, ending Australia’s long unbeaten run at the venue.

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“After the demoralising collapse of 36 all out in the first Test of the 2021 series Down Under, it was Rahane along with Ravi Shastri who picked the team from the dumps. The vice-captain took over a ship that was ready to sink and not only sailed it into calmer waters but also gave India an unprecedented first victory at Australia’s fortress ‘The Gabba’ and with it the series win too,” Sunil Gavaskar concluded.