"He said, 'I'll wait for my turn'" - When a former India cricketer hailed Ajinkya Rahane for being a team man
Out of favor Team India batter Ajinkya Rahane is celebrating his 37th birthday on Friday, June 6. The right-handed batter has so far featured in 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is, scoring 8,414 across the three formats, with the aid of 15 hundreds and 51 half-centuries.
While Rahane is known for playing some stellar knocks in international cricket, he is also highly rated as a team man. During an interaction with Sportskeeda on the special show 'SK Tales' back in March 2022, former India cricketer and ex-Delhi Capitals (DC) coach Mohammad Kaif shared some interesting insights into the personality of the veteran batter.
Rahane was part of the Delhi franchise in the IPL for two seasons - 2020 and 2021. However, he played only 11 matches across the two editions. This was unfamiliar territory for the batter in the T20 league as he had earlier captained the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise. Kaif, who was DC's assistant coach from 2019 to 2021, recalled that Rahane was frustrated, but waited for his chances patiently.
“One thing I really admire about Rahane is that he didn’t want to spoil the team environment even though personally he was a bit disappointed at not getting chances. There were a lot of questions in his mind, but he kept it to himself and believed that the captain and team management knew what is best for the team. He didn’t want to put any doubt in anyone’s mind,” the former India batter said.
“I remember he admitted to me that he was a bit frustrated, but he said, ‘I’ll wait for my turn and perform well when the chance comes my way. I am a team man. Yes, there are a lot of questions in my mind, but I will not disturb the team environment’. This shows how big and good a player he is,” Kaif went on to add.
Having been released by DC ahead of the IPL 2022 season, Rahane was subsequently purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for his base price of ₹1 crore. He played seven matches in IPL 2022, scoring 133 runs at a strike rate of 103.90, with a best of 44.
Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR failed to reach the playoffs in IPL 2025
Rahane was the surprise choice as KKR captain for the IPL 2025 season. The 2024 champions, however, failed to defend their title under his leadership. The Kolkata franchise finished a disappointing eighth in the points table, with just 12 points from 14 matches.
On a personal note, the skipper had a mixed season. In 12 innings, he contributed 390 runs at an average of 35.45 and a strike rate of 147.72, with the aid of three half-centuries and a best of 61.