Ajinkya Rahane is “trying” to return to the form he exhibited as a batter when he was younger. The India Test captain for Mumbai has stepped away from the spotlight and the trappings that come with the position in order to start on a path of self-discovery that does not have a predetermined endpoint.
He has scored a total of 532 runs in five Ranji games, with a high score of 204 and an average of 76, which would show that this strategy is working well for him.
“I was remembering the good old days and when I joined the Ranji team for the first time” (back in 2007). My previous playing style as well as an explanation of my thought process
‘I have gone back to the drawing board and I am trying to be the Ajinkya what I used to be in my beginning days,’ Rahane said to PTI at an interaction held on the eve of Mumbai’s penultimate Ranji Trophy game against Delhi, the team’s most bitter rival.
“The plan is to keep things as straightforward as possible,” he explained further.
During falling out of favour after the tour of South Africa in the beginning of the previous year, Ajinkya revealed that he had altered his technique in order to compensate for his lack of playing time.
“Clearly just some minor adjustments. As a player, you are required to undergo constant change and to continually work on developing and refining your strategy.
“Skill-wise, there haven’t been any huge shifts, but there have been some minor adjustments. Now, I need to focus on Mumbai and play well for them,” he said.
That is all on my mind right now.” Additionally, he told him that he cannot be self-centered and concentrate solely on his own batting.
“While I am not concentrating too much on my own batting, I am putting a lot of thought into my preparation. The 34-year-old player, who has appeared in 82 tests, 90 one-day internationals, and 20 Twenty20 Internationals, stated that preparation had been quite successful even before the Ranji season began.
Ajinkya Rahane, who has played at the highest level of international cricket, can empathise with both Prithvi Shaw’s joy at being recalled to the Indian team for Twenty20 Internationals and Sarfaraz Khan’s disappointment at being overlooked despite scoring 900 runs in each of the previous two seasons.
In light of this, what piece of guidance would he provide to Prithvi or Sarfaraz before a crucial Ranji match?
“The counsel I would provide to them is straightforward. Take charge of the things you can, and don’t waste your time worrying about the things that are out of your hands. “Just make an effort to be present and not to think about things too far in advance,” Ajinkya advised.
He is aware of how players are affected by setbacks, and as the captain of Mumbai, his “door remains open” for a conversation with any player. Additionally, he will be there for anyone who would like to use him as a sounding board.
“It’s important to be there for the boys, especially when they’re going through a tough time.” It is essential to provide them with the opportunity to freely express themselves not just on the playing field but also away from it.
The skipper shared with the individual, “The individual is free to come to me and chat to me about anything that is going on in his personal life.”
In the most recent match against Assam, in which Shaw produced an outstanding 379, he shared a stand with Shaw that was worth more than 400 runs.
“It should come as no surprise to anyone that Prithvi is an aggressive player. He enjoys the challenge of taking on the bowler each time.
“When you play a knock like 379, it is vital to control not only your aggression and intent to play the shot, but also your intent to leave the ball and defend,” he said. “When you play a knock like 379, it is important to leave the ball and defend.” He came to the conclusion that “his determination was inspiring to observe from the other end.”