The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 is well underway, and the batting form of Ajinkya Rahane has been one of the biggest talking points of the season. The 34-year-old was roped in by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the IPL 2023 auctions for a base price of INR 50 lakhs.

Although the decision to give Rahane a chance seems to have paid off for Chennai, he has been in a league of his own at the ongoing T20 carnival. With 209 runs in five matches so far and maintaining a strike rate of 199.05, he has been one of the most important players for Chennai in the tournament.

Recently, Ajinkya Rahane scored his second half-century of the season, when the four-time champions took on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 33rd match of the tournament. Rahane amassed 71* runs in just 29 deliveries. After the game, the veteran batter came forward to talk about his performance at the competition.

During the post-match, press conference, Ajinkya Rahane said, “The only thing I tell you… I really enjoyed my knock, really happy that we won this match. You get a chance to learn many things when you play under Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni). As a batter and cricketer, you always want to grow. The way the format is evolving, I feel as an individual you have to keep growing and developing your skills.”

Furthermore, Ajinkya Rahane also took a cheeky dig at his previous franchises by opining that he wasn’t given ample chances in the previous editions of the IPL. Notably, playing for the KKR in the previous season, the 34-year-old got minimal opportunities for the two-time champions.

Explaining the same, Ajinkya Rahane said, “The turning point is here I’m getting chances to play. I was really happy when CSK picked me. They gave me the opportunity to play and express myself, If you see, I was not getting opportunities to play one-two years ago. And, if you don’t play matches, how would you show what shots do you have in your armory.”