Ajinkya Rahane has a monk-like attitude, good call from selectors to pick him for WTC finalMSK Prasad

By Akshay RameshAjinkya Rahane has never let his morale and commitment get affected due to the ups and downs in his career and his return is welcome news for the Indian Test team ahead of the World Test Championship final, according to former India wicketkeeper and ex-chief selector MSK Prasad. Rahane was named in India’s 15-man squad for the summit clash against Australia in June by the BCCI on Tuesday, April 25.

Speaking to IndiaToday.in, MSK Prasad said he is delighted for Ajinkya Rahane, adding that he always liked the ‘monk-like attitude’ of the Mumbai batter. The former selection committee chairman, who has closely worked with Rahane, said the former’s vice-captain’s return to the Test side is an important move, especially in the absence of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant due to injuries.

MSK Prasad lauded the selection committee for picking a ‘fair’ squad for the World Test Championship final, which will be played from June 7 to 11 at the Oval in London.

“It’s a fair team, it’s the right call. Ajinkyaâ€æ with so much of uncertainty in the middle-order, I think they (selectors) were absolutely right,” Prasad said.

“I am very, very happy for him. He has always been a wonderful performer for India in the away series. And I think he fits the bill perfectly. Full credit to the selectors for bringing him back.

“Basically, his attitude is like a monk’s. He is never disturbed when he is not selected. He is not over-excited when he is selected. He is that kind of a guy. His mood doesn’t swing up and down, just like that. He is a very mature person,” he added.

“Unfortunately, because of a dip in his form, he had to sit out.”

Rahane was dropped from the Test squad after India’s 2-1 defeat on a tour of South Africa in December-January 2022. Rahane averaged 20.82 in 13 Tests in 2022 before he faced the axe along with Cheteshwar Pujara. However, Pujara worked his way back into the squad after a stunning stint in Country Championship Division 2 for Sussex last year.

Rahane also put his head down and played domestic cricket for Mumbai. In the Ranji Trophy season, the senior Mumbai batter hit 634 runs for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy 2022-23, hitting 2 centuries, including a double hundred, in 7 matches.

‘EVERYTHING TO GAIN FOR RAHANE’

The veteran batter carried forward his form into IPL 2023, surprising quite a few with his aggressive knocks for Chennai Super Kings. The former Rajasthan captain has scored 209 runs, including 2 fifties, in 5 matches at a strike rate of 199 for CSK in IPL 2023.

“Frankly speaking, not just me, nobody would have expected it (knocks for CSK). With the kind of situation that he is in, if he plays positively, he has everything to gain which is what he has done. He would have got the confidence with Mahi picking. It’s a wonderful thing that has happened,” Prasaid said of Rahane’s IPL form.

Rahane will be battling for a spot in the middle-order along with KL Rahul, who has been retained despite his lean patch. India also picked KS Bharat as the designated wicketkeeper while dropping Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav who were part of the side in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

MSK Prasad went on to laud Rahane for going back to domestic cricket and regaining his place in the Test squad.

“He has always been a fantastic cricketer for us. How would we have won the Test series in Australia without him? The kind of hundred that he got in Melbourne, the kind of hundred he got in Lord’s. Everywhere around the world, he has got runs. Unfortunately, he has not got a lot of runs in India lately. It’s a rare thing, many Indian batters don’t do well overseas. It’s the other-way around for him.

“I am very happy for him. I am one of the biggest fans of his attitude. I have never seen any change in his attitude, despite the ups and downs he has had. He works really hard, you can see, he played all the games in domestic cricket, he put his head down and worked his way back. Naturally, nature itself has given him what he deserved,” Prasad added.