Ajinkya Rahane, who last played for India in 2023 during the West Indies tour, chose to remain tight-lipped about his absence from the Indian Test squad following Mumbai’s victory in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final.
The Mumbai skipper declined to comment on his omission from India’s squad during their recent 3-0 Test series defeat against New Zealand at home. Tom Latham’s side handed India their first home Test series loss in 12 years, marking a significant setback for the team.
Since Rahane’s last appearance, India has moved forward with Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel in the Test setup. The selectors did not consider him for the home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, and India later suffered a 1-3 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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Following Mumbai’s hard-fought win over Haryana, Rahane was asked whether his experience could have made a difference in India’s performance against New Zealand. However, he quickly dismissed the question.
“Please ask about this Ranji Trophy. I don’t believe in ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. My job is to play cricket, and right now, I am focused on representing Mumbai and giving my best for my domestic team. Of course, I want to play Test cricket for India again, and I am confident about it, but I prefer to live in the present,” he said.
Rahane was also asked about his potential return for India’s five-Test tour of England in June, but he remained focused on his immediate commitments.
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“That series is still months away. Right now, my priority is the Ranji Trophy semi-final, and we will think about that in the coming days. The hunger to play for India is still alive in me. Without that hunger, you are nothing,” he added.
Despite his exclusion from the national squad, Rahane remains determined to push for a comeback.
“I still have a passion for Test cricket, and my hunger to perform is very much intact. I believe I still have a lot of cricket left in me,” he concluded.
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