Not even the best of Cricket experts would have expected Ajinkya Rahane to play a match-winning innings in the ongoing 16th edition of the IPL, but there’s just something about the CSK jersey which brings the best out of players.
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Playing without the two big overseas players in their line-up in Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, Rahane put his hands up and played a blistering knock at a strike rate of 225.93, during the 12th match of the ongoing season at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
En route the target of 158 runs, CSK lost their Southpaw opener Devon Conway (0 off 4) in the very first Over of the chase. With the target being rather modest, one might have felt it was a perfect time for Rahane to have his eye in, but the Mumbai batter had some other plans the moment he stepped on his home ground pitch.
He activated his beast mode on during the fourth Over, when he tonked MI pacer Arshad Khan for four Fours and a Six, to collect 23 runs in total. He kept smashing each of the loose deliveries beyond the boundary, and scored the second-fastest half-century by a CSK batter, only on his debut for the franchise.
His innings eventually ended during the eighth Over, but he had already scored 61 runs off mere 27 deliveries by then, and paved the way for his side’s victory by 7 wickets.
Ajinkya Rahane Optimistic of Test Comeback After Stellar CSK Debut
Out of the Indian Test team since the South Africa tour in January last year after enduring a rough patch in run-scoring form, Rahane is very much optimistic regarding his comeback into the side in future, post his scintillating innings tonight.
The 34-year-old categorically expressed his desire to play a Test match at his home ground in Wankhede, having not played at this venue despite representing India across 82 Tests till date.
“IPL is a long tournament and you never know when you get an opportunity. I always enjoy playing at Wankhede. I have never played a Test here. I would want to play a Test here,” remarked Rahane during the post-match presentation.
Why Ajinkya Rahane hasn’t played a Test match at his home ground in Wankhede Stadium?
Ever since Rahane’s Test debut in March 2013 versus Australia at Delhi, team India has played mere three Test matches at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
He was not part of the squad during the Test against West Indies at Wankhede in 2013, and was not included in the playing XI during the Test match against England at this venue again in 2016.
He came really close to play his maiden Test match at Wankhede during versus New Zealand in December 2021, but a hamstring injury had ruled him Out from the same.
