Hailing from the suburbs of Mumbai, Ajinkya Rahane reminded the observers of cricket of Sachin Tendulkar when he scored two impressive centuries in the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia. Before that, in his first tryst with international opponents, Rahane scored 172 for West Zone against England Lions in the 2007–08 Duleep Trophy. His impressive performances in domestic cricket earned him his first call-up to the Indian team in 2011. He scored 61 on his T20I debut and 40 on his ODI debut showing his skill of adaptability. After the retirement of stalwarts like VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid, Rahane got his chance to play in Tests. He made his debut in 2013 against Australia. In the 2013/2014 away season, Rahane was India's most accomplished batsman. He soon became an important part of the Test team. He is presently the vice-captain of the Test team and has led India in five Test matches in the absence of skipper Virat Kohli. Rahane has been playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since the inaugural season. As of 2021, he played for Delhi Capitals.