Ajinkya Rahane misses Ranji Trophy clash against Puducherry: Details
What's the story
Veteran Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane was absent from Mumbai's Group D Ranji Trophy match against Puducherry at the Wankhede Stadium, starting on Sunday. The reason for his absence remains unclear. Akhil Herwadkar replaced him in the playing XI. Rahane, 37, skipped Saturday's optional training session and has had a mixed season with the bat so far.
Performance review
Rahane's mixed season and past frustrations
Rahane has had a mixed season, with low scores interspersed by a 159-run innings against Chhattisgarh at the BKC ground. After his century, he expressed disappointment over not being selected in India's squad for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The team lost that series 3-1. "It's not about age. It's about intent," Rahane had said, emphasizing the importance of passion and experience in red-ball cricket.
Career highlights
Rahane's last international appearance and IPL retention
Rahane's last international appearance for India was against West Indies in July 2023. He stepped down as Mumbai captain ahead of the new season, with Shardul Thakur taking over in red-ball cricket. The right-handed batsman has played 85 Tests for India, scoring 5,077 runs at an average of 38.46 with 12 centuries. However, he has never played a home Test at Wankhede Stadium due to missing matches in 2016 and 2021 while serving as vice-captain of the Test team.