Ajinkya Rahane Fails To Impress In Ranji Trophy Semifinal, Career In Jeopardy?
Ajinkya Rahane during a training session for India in June 2023 (x.com)
Ajinkya Rahane’s quest for a potential Test comeback for Team India faced another roadblock as the senior batter failed to guide Mumbai to recovery in their 2024 Ranji Trophy semifinal clash against Tamil Nadu.
In search of some much-needed runs, Rahane conjured just 19 of them from 67 balls before becoming one of Sai Kishore’s five victims.
Ajinkya Rahane’s Test prospects cope another blow
Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane failed to lead his side to recovery against Tamil Nadu in the semifinal of the ongoing 2024 Ranji Trophy season.
Batting at number five and arriving at the crease at 48-3, the senior right-hander shared 43 runs off the subsequent 20 overs with young Musheer Khan.
Rahane himself pumped out 19 of those runs from 67 deliveries before his brewing stay was halted by Tamil Nadu’s left-arm spinner Sai Kishore.
His latest batting failure extended his tournament tally to a mere 134 runs from 11 innings. The 35-year-old has listed just one fifty-plus score across all competitive cricket since January, maintaining a substandard average of 13.40 this season.
Rahane’s repeated struggles with the bat have hampered his prospects of returning to India’s national Test setup.
The senior Indian batter last played a Test match in July 2023 during the team’s two-match tour of West Indies. So far in his career, Rahane has featured in 85 Tests for Team India and has minted over 5,000 runs at an average of 38.46 with 12 tons and 26 half-centuries in his credit.
Soon after his Ranji Trophy stint for Mumbai, Ajinkya Rahane will be seen gracing the CSK colours for the forthcoming IPL 2024 season later this month.
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