Ajinkya Rahane

IPL 2026: Not here to prove talent, let people talk, says Ajinkya Rahane

Dismissive of the never-ending speculation around his future, experienced India batter and Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane says he is playing cricket for personal growth and not to prove a point to the naysayers. The 37-year-old Rahane had stepped down from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy captaincy last season and he also did not lead the side in white-ball domestic competitions. The move triggered another round of chatter around the future of the batter, who hasn't played for India since 2023. "Let people talk about me. They have been talking about me since like what, 20 years now. Let them talk," Rahane told reporters when asked if his 40-ball 67 with five sixes and three fours against Mumbai Indians here on Sunday was in any way a statement especially for those in Mumbai's cricket circuit. "I am really happy with the way I am batting at the moment. I am not here to show anyone how talented I am and what's my game. People are watching. Let them watch. Let them talk," he ...

IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane limps off mid-game in MI vs KKR game at Wankhede

Kolkata Knight Riders' captan Ajinkya Rahane was on Sunday forced to leave the field seemingly after suffering cramps in the second half of their Indian Premier League clash here against Mumbai Indians. In Rahane's absence, India all-rounder Rinku Singh who was named the vice-captain before the IPL 2026 began, took over the captaincy role. Rahane was down on the field after the completion of the fourth over in MI's chase of 221 and despite receiving some treatment from the team physiotherapist, the 37-year-old could not continue. After lying down for a few minutes, the KKR skipper was helped by his teammates to get up and for a short while even had his hands on shoulders of two others to get off the field. However, Rahane eventually walked off himself but with a limp. However it is still not clear whether it is simple cramps or a case of injury to calf muscle or hamstring. Opening the innings for KKR earlier in the game, Rahane spent more than an hour in the middle building the ...

Captains of all 10 franchises for IPL 2026

Get to know all 10 captains leading their teams in IPL 2026! From experienced leaders like Hardik Pandya and Ajinkya Rahane to dynamic captains such as Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill.

Virat Kohli to Chris Gayle: Top 10 highest run-getters in IPL history

Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli leads the list of highest run scorers in IPL with 8,661 runs, while David Warner, with 6,565 runs, leads the table for overseas batters

Rahane's silent roar: 'Age is just a number, experience still counts'

If you have the experience, if you're still playing domestic cricket, if you're giving your best - selectors should consider that, says Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane urges BCCI to revamp selector process, Pujara in partial agreement

India batter Ajinkya Rahane has proposed radical changes in the appointment of selectors, particularly at the domestic level, saying only recently retired first-class players should be entrusted with picking teams as they are more likely to keep pace with changing nature of the game. Currently, any cricketer with 10-match first-class experience can apply for being a state selector and should have retired at least five years ago. Beyond the set parameters, Rahane said it's important that selectors' mindset and approach match the current pace of cricket. "Players should not be scared of selectors. I want to talk about selectors, especially in domestic cricket. We should have selectors who have retired recently from playing top-flight cricket, those who have retired five-six years, seven-eight years ago," Rahane said during an interaction with one-time teammate Cheteshwar Pujara on the former's Youtube channel. "Because the way cricket is evolving, I think it's very important that the

Rahane resigns Mumbai captaincy just before new Ranji Trophy 2025 campaign

Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane on Thursday stepped down from his position as Mumbai captain ahead of the upcoming Ranji Trophy season, saying it is the right time to groom a new leader. The 37-year-old, who has amassed 14000 runs in 201 first-class matches, however, will continue to play as a batter in the team. The Ranji season begins on October 15 and Mumbai will be up against Jammu and Kashmir in their opening game. "Captaining and winning the championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour," Rahane wrote on his 'X' account. "With the new domestic season ahead, I believe it is the right time to groom a new leader, and hence, I have decided not to continue in the captaincy role. "I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player, and will continue my journey with MCA to help us win more trophies, looking forward to the season," he added. Under his captaincy, Mumbai clinched the Ranji Trophy title in the 202324 season with a victory over Vidarbha in the .

Ajinkya Rahane reflects on KKR journey, playoff hopes, and India comeback

Speaking at the Star Sports Press Room, Rahane opened up about various aspects of his journey with KKR so far.

IPL 2025: MI vs KKR playing 11, Pandya and Rahane's captaincy record in IPL

Mumbai Indians are searching for their first win of the season while defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders have also won one and lost one in their two games of this season so far

Eden Gardens curator reverses his stance on pitch controversy with KKR

Curator Sujan Mukherjee stated that no KKR official or player had approached him before the match with any specific pitch requirements

IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders full schedule, swot analysis, match timings

As fans gear up for the IPL 2025 opener between KKR and RCB, Business Standard takes a look how KKR are prepared for the new challenges ahead:

IPL 2025: Rahane named captain; KKR's costliest player appointed deputy

Venkatesh Iyer was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025 mega auction for Rs 23.75 crore

Ajinkya Rahane believes Rohit will bounce back strong after recent debacles

Indian Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma is all set to make his return to domestic cricket for the first time since 2025

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour begins in India at Wankhede Stadium

Indian cricket legends including Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane posed with the coveted trophy on Monday

Bangar and Gupta believe players should follow example of Rahane and Pujara

Bangar said that Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have demonstrated their commitment by continuing to perform at the domestic level

Kohli to Iyer: Top 5 highest run-getters for Team India in pink-ball Tests

Rohit Sharma follows closely with 173 runs in three matches, averaging 43.25. Known for his aggressive approach

Ajinkya Rahane's 192(102) keep Leicestershire alive against Glamorgan

Seasoned India batter Ajinkya Rahane compiled his 40th First-Class century -- a marvellous 192-ball 102 -- as Leicestershire battled hard to avoid defeat against Glamorgan in their County Championship Division Two match here on Sunday. Rahane, a veteran of 85 Tests and 90 ODIs, struck 13 fours and a six during his stay in the middle and was also involved in a vital stand of 183 runs for the fourth wicket with Australian Peter Handscomb, who was batting on 94 at lunch on the final day of the four-day game. Leicestershire's international pair Rahane and Handscomb got together with an aim to save the game for them after Glamorgan's Colin Ingram had crafted a career-best, unbeaten 257 at Sofia Gardens. At stumps on the third evening, Rahane was 47 not out and Handscomb unbeaten on 33, as Leicestershire ended at 144 for 3, trailing by 155, when bad light stopped play with 21.2 scheduled overs remaining. At the lunch, Leicestershire were 271 for four and needing another 28 runs to make .

Thrilled to have Shreyas in team for Ranji semifinal: Mumbai skipper Rahane

Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane on Friday backed Shreyas Iyer to put the contractual turmoil behind him and deliver a punchy performance for the team in the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Tamil Nadu, beginning here on Saturday. Shreyas along with Jharkhand's Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual central contracts after both the players skipped the Ranji matches of their respective teams in violation of BCCI's diktat. Shreyas sat out of Mumbai's quarterfinal against Baroda here while complaining of back pain. He's an experienced player. His contribution has been amazing whenever he turned up for Mumbai. We are thrilled to have him in our team for the semifinal, Rahane told the media here at the BKC Ground. Rahane said Shreyas would not require any extra motivation to do well for Mumbai against TN. I don't think he needs any encouragement or advice. He has always contributed with the bat for Mumbai, and him being around other players in the dressing room will also help the .

Rahane remains determined for India comeback, wants to play 100 Tests

Ajinkya Rahane has not given up on playing 100 Tests for India and remains determined for a comeback. Rahane last played for India on the tour of West Indies in July 2023. The 35-year-old, who has featured in 85 Tests, is captaining Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. "My goal is to secure both the Ranji Trophy and the bigger objective of playing in 100 Test matches," Rahane told reporters after Mumbai's second successive outright win in the competition. "I'm focused on performing well for Mumbai and taking each game one step at a time." Rahane could not open his account in what was his first game of the tournament. Talking about the team's start, he said: "It's been a very good start for us this season. The challenge is to be consistent because when you want to win the Ranji Trophy, it is all about being consistent throughout the period of time. "We are looking to take one game at a time. It's a home-away format so the conditions keep changing. We have to be in the moment, try and see

Ajinkya Rahane pulls out of county stint with Leicestershire citing break

Senior India batter Ajinkya Rahane will not join English county side Leicestershire as planned earlier as he wants a break from cricket after hectic international engagements, the club said. The 35-year-old Rahane was to join the county club in June but his arrival was pushed back due to increased international commitments. He flew straight to England after the IPL for the World Test Championship final, before heading on India's Test tour of the West Indies this month. The club said with those involvements previously not factored into his schedule, Rahane has now expressed his desire to take a break from cricket during August and September, meaning he will not feature for Leicestershire as planned. "Firstly, we are fully understanding of Ajinkya's situation. He has experienced a hectic schedule in recent months, both in India and travelling with the national team, and we accept his wishes to recover and spend some time with his family," Director of Cricket Claude Henderson said in a