Ajinkya Rahane reflects on WTC final 2023 and Test team exclusion

The coveted Ranji Trophy is India's premier domestic tournament where several big cricketing names feature and have continued to do so this season as well. One of the big names in the tournament is Ajinkya Rahane who has been leading Mumbai. The 36-year-old batter has led his side to another semi-final after beating Haryana by a huge margin.

Rahane played a huge role in the game by scoring a brilliant century in the second innings to make sure the team had a chance to win the game. The  36-year-old scored 108 off 180 deliveries to make sure a decent target was set in the match. Notably, the prolific batter used to be one of the key players in the Indian team in Test cricket but lost his spot and has struggled to find his place in the team with young players coming into the mix.

In the same regard, recently, Ajinkya Rahane opened up on his being dropped from the national side and also recalled his magnificent knock in the WTC final. The Maharashtra-born had scored 89 and 46 across the innings in the summit clash. However, it seems that he has no hard feelings about the decision taken by the selectors and has the same motivation to play more. 

“I batted nicely in the World Test Championship final in 2023 too. After that, I got dropped. Being selected or not selected is another matter and the job of the selectors. But I thought I played well in that WTC final,” Rahane was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. 

Also Read: Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Ajinkya Rahane's century keeps Mumbai ahead in quarter-final match

“In all this, I feel I have a lot of cricket left in me, That's why I am playing domestic cricket consistently. I just have one goal right now, and that is to play cricket with a positive mindset, and whatever happens after that, happens,” Rahane concluded. 

Mumbai to clash with Vidarbha in Ranji Trophy semifinal

Meanwhile, speaking of the Mumbai side's upcoming fixture, they will be playing the semi-final match against Vidarbha on February 17. This will be an interesting matchup where it will be a battle between two former Rajasthan Royals teammates, as Rahane will be playing against Vidarbha star batter, Karun Nair.