Ajinkya Rahane – An emerging hero for Indian cricket

Ajinkya Rahane

After spending quite a long time on the bench, finally Ajinkya Rahane has got a break. Though he was sent to bat at number six, not his usual position, but still he showed maturity and skill while sharing the crease with Virat Kohli today in the first Test against South Africa. I personally adore him for the patience he has shown throughout his up and down journey in international cricket.

Let us have a look at his profile. Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane is an upcoming cricketer, who was born in Maharashtra. He is a top order right hand batsman who plays for Mumbai in the domestic circuit. He has played in India, India-A, India blue, India under-19, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals.

He made his test debut against Australia in March 2013 in Delhi. He made his T20 debut in August 2011 and ODI debut in September 2011. He has got a wonderful batting average of 60.05 in first class cricket, which shows his consistency.

Recently, on 28-11-2013, while playing for Mumbai in the Ranji trophy match against Vidarbha, he played a wonderful innings of 133. He has got an excellent foot work, and is known for his cover drives, hook and pull shots.

Even today, he extended full support to Virat Kohli. Although Kohli took the limelight as usual, Rahane’s contribution cannot be undermined. He has again displayed his ability to stand firmly on the crease under pressure situations. The best part is that he always plays in a cool and composed manner. He times his shots perfectly. He never prefers slog shots, and rather goes for properly executed classical shots.

He is basically an opener but has got the ability to fit in any given place comfortably. True to his temperament and style, he follows Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid as his idols. Also, Rahane has got the ability to fast track the score under the given situation. That too without taking undue risks! He has proved to be a key player for his team Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, where his batting average this season has been 57.60.

He has been the highest run getter in the IPL. Many of his fans still cherish his wonderful innings of 70 runs in just 56 balls in the semi finals of the IPL against Chennai Super Kings. Owing to his sincerity and hard work, many of his fans find him far better than Murali Vijay, simply due to his batting kill, composure and consistency. He is certainly the future of Indian cricket.

Today, the way he has fulfilled his role of guarding one end of the wicket and supporting the seniors, it was really impressive. He left the ball well and was able to negotiate the tricky bowling attack of South Africa. I really wonder why he was not given a chance earlier. He has depicted wisdom of the highest level. Though Rahane is still batting at 43 runs, for me he has already played his role and irrespective of the end result of this interesting match, one Indian cricketer has established himself.