Comparing the captaincy styles of Australian great Shane Warne and Indian legend Rahul Dravid, young batsman Ajinkya Rahane said that while the former used to spring surprises, the latter keeps everything simple, but both were good leaders.
Gujarat Titans handed defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders an emphatic 39-run loss in the IPL 2025 match in Kolkata on Monday.
If Punjab goes for a flat deck, there is no guarantee that the bowling unit can defend anything in the 220 range, especially when KKR have the likes of Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer in their ranks.
Stylish batsman Ajinkya Rahane hailed BCCI's decision to appoint former skipper and spin great Anil Kumble as Team India coach saying his tips will take Indian cricket forward. "This will be my first experience with Anil bhai (Anil Kumble). When I was with Mumbai Indians, he was not there (with MI), he came after the third year. A player like him becoming India's coach is a big and a good news for Indian cricket going forward," he told reporters in Mumbai. "He has so much of experience, he has played international cricket for so many years, definitely his tips, his importance will take Indian cricket forward," the 28-year-old player said.
Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh also made his anger known.
Ajinkya Rahane stole the limelight, smashing the first century of IPL 5 to power Rajasthan Royals to a comfortable 59-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bangalore on Sunday.
Mumbai clinched their 15th Irani Trophy title, ending a 27-year wait with a commanding performance that reaffirmed their status as a powerhouse in Indian cricket.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Thursday.
Ajinkya Rahane will finally make his long awaited debut in Test cricket after being named in the Indian team for the fourth and final match against Australia, starting in Delhi on Friday.
Controversial keeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, who has been dropped from the Test team, will still earn Rs 1 crore in annual income after being demoted from group B to C.
'There is no question of dropping Rahane. He has scored really well, he has been extremely successful over the last couple of years'
'The moment you are representing your country, you are supposed to do whatever you are assigned. When I was carrying drinks during the Champions Trophy, I had no ego issues. That's how I am as a person' 'The biggest lesson of life for me is to keep things simple'
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, on Thursday.
While it is generally his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has made this habit of hitting the winning runs - in some style too, Ajinkya Rahane had that honour in Rising Pune Supergiants' match against the Delhi Daredevils.
Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has said that Ajinkya Rahane reminded him a bit of Sachin Tendulkar and his "compact technique" would fetch him a lot of runs for India.
Ajinkya Rahane has been a conspicuous absentee from the ongoing Indian runfest against Sri Lanka but the middle order batsman appears to have the backing of the team management ahead of the tour of South Africa later this month.
Kolkata Knight Riders rode on Venkatesh Iyer's explosive 60 off 29 balls to crush a hapless Sunrisers Hyderabad by 80 runs to register their second win of IPL 2025 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.
In a league defined by change, Sanju Samson's steadfast presence offers a sense of stability and a genuine chance for the Royals to finally reclaim their long-awaited title
A few bruised egos will eye redemption when India square off against Australia in the second Test in Melbourne from Saturday, ready to bounce back in skipper Ajinkya Rahane's hour of reckoning after their batting debacle in the series opener in Adelaide.
Rahane dropped anchor to score an unbeaten 144 off 156 balls while the young Ishan Kishan smashed his way to an 87-ball 114 during their opening stand of 210, which took the C team's score to 352 for seven in 50 overs.
Ajinkya Rahane and his Mumbai teammate Suryakumar Yadav went under the hammer for Rs 7 lakh each.
Ajinkya Rahane carved out his seventh Test century and was unbeaten on 108 runs as India extended their lead over West Indies by a mammoth 304 runs to take firm control of the second Test in Kingston. The final session on Day Three of the second Test was washed off due to rain.
The South African's blistering 52 off 25 balls not only augurs well for him personally but for the franchise who are aiming to build a team from scratch for the next season.
Ajinkya Rahane scored an unbeaten hundred but skipper Virat Kohli's poor form continued as the touring Indians put up 314 for six on the opening day of their only three-day tour game against Sri Lanka Board President's XI in Colombo, on Thursday.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
Ajinkya Rahane rated his knock of 132 against Sri Lanka as one his best on spin-friendly tracks as he predicted tough times for batsmen in the remainder of the second Test.
Two more failures in two home games could effectively mean end of the road for Ajinkya Rahane, who is leading India in the first Test in Kanpur, starting on Thursday.
'I am happy people are talking about me -- I always believe people talk about important people. I am not too concerned about that. It is all about contribution for the team.'
He has been trying to establish himself at the international level, but Ajinkya Rahane is not really losing his sleep over selection in the Indian cricket team and is happy focusing on his game only.
He might not be scoring big runs in the ongoing 10th edition of the Indian Premier League, but Rising Pune Supergiant opener Ajinkya Rahane is a contented man as long as his contributions are bringing out positive results for his side.
Captain Virat Kohli played a pivotal role with a workmanlike 82, lifting India from a double blow at the beginning of innings to 172 for three in the second Test against Australia in Perth on Saturday.
He might have been the star of Rajasthan Royals' win over Pune Warriors in a high-scoring IPL thriller but Ajinkya Rahane was modest about his role, opting to praise his team's bowlers for keeping it tight in the death overs.
There remains a big question mark over who will be India's No.4 in the World Cup.
'If there was some problem, it could have been solved easily.'
He has been a calming influence for India in the opening slot, the proof of which was visible during his half-century knock in the fourth ODI against West Indies here, but consistency is something Ajinkya Rahane is striving for to cement his place in the national team.
Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, both struggling in the Indian Premier League, will be looking to turn their fortunes around when they face each other on Friday.
Former captain Rahul Dravid threw his weight behind India discard and Rajasthan Royals team-mate Ajinkya Rahane saying the youngster deserves a longer run in international cricket.
Rahane and his teammates are enjoying the phase where the current batch under Virat Kohli is expected to win Test series outside sub-continent following their historic triumph in Australia last year.
Rahane spoke about how pink ball's increased pace off the pitch during the 40-50 minutes of the twilight session, will be the biggest challenge for any batsman.
Prithvi should bat just like he does for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy, said Rahane
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