Ajinkya Rahane Retirement: Has CSK Batter Retired from International Cricket?

Chennai Super Kings batter Ajinkya Rahane is no longer part of the Indian cricket team but that hasn’t refrained him from dictating terms in his first T20 in over five months.

Rahane, who played only nine matches for two different teams across the last two IPL seasons, was handed an IPL debut by CSK against Mumbai Indians tonight.

Had it not been for the respective unavailability of English all-rounders Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes, Rahane might not have been considered for IPL 2023 Match 12 at the Wankhede Stadium. However, with him getting a go, the 34-year old player’s no-nonsense approach didn’t let him waste the opportunity.

How’d you like the punch?🥊#MIvCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 https://t.co/EcgQ6B4G5q

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 8, 2023

Rahane’s 41st T20 and 29th IPL half-century saw him scoring 61 (27) consisting of seven fours and three sixes. A 19-ball half-century has now become the fastest 50 of IPL 2023.

Ajinkya Rahane Retirement

Rahane, who hasn’t played an international match in almost 15 months now, hasn’t announced his retirement from the highest level. In fact, the notion around Rahane’s retirement has never done the round in the Indian media, not even “according to reports”.

Unlike some other modern-day cricketers, Rahane represented his state team in Mumbai in all the three formats of the Indian domestic circuit in the latest season. Rahane, who almost scored a couple of double centuries during Ranji Trophy 2022-23, seems determined in his approach regarding returning to the national side especially in the ancestral format.

Ajinkya Rahane IPL Career

13th highest run-scorer in the history of the biggest T20 tournament in the world, Rahane has scored 4,135 runs across 149 IPL innings at an average of 31.09 and a strike rate of 121.51. Readers must note that the right-handed batter has a couple of IPL centuries under his belt.

Having made his debut for MI in the inaugural season of the tournament, Rahane spent three seasons for his home franchise before playing for Rajasthan Royals (2011-2015 & 2018-2019), Rising Pune Supergiant (2016-2017), Delhi Capitals (2020-2021) and Kolkata Knight Riders (2022).

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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