'We couldn't afford a rickshaw ride' - Ajinkya Rahane opens up on his difficult childhood and his parents' struggles

The game of cricket has seen so many rags-to-riches stories but one story that many are unaware of is that of India batting star Ajinkya Rahane. The right-handed batsman is one of the best Test batsmen in the world right now. The Mumbai star debuted for India in 2011 during the tour of England and has not looked back since then.

He started his international career as a white-ball specialist before breaking into the Test side and is now a batting mainstay. Rahane has scored Test centuries in New Zealand, England and Australia. But while the Mumbai star is one of the most sought after cricketers in the world right now, the journey was not always as smooth as it looks now.

In a recent interview, Rahane opened up and revealed the difficulties he faced while growing up. The 31-year old as he had to go through his own share of struggles as he did not belong to a well-to-do family. Speaking to India Today, Rahane recalled his struggling days where his mother used to walk 6 kms for his training because they did not have money to afford a rickshaw.

‘I am here because of my parents’: Ajinkya Rahane

In a candid chat, Ajinkya Rahane revealed how his mother used to carry his brother in one arm and his kit bag in other for nearly 8 kilometres. The family’s condition was so poor that they could hardly afford a rickshaw ride once in a week. He also said that his parents fully backed his decision to become a cricketer and credited his success to them.

“My cricketing journey started in Dombivli. I still remember my mother used to walk with me with my kit bag in one hand and my brother in her other arm and we used to walk 6-8 kms one way. We could not afford rickshaw fare at that time. Often I used to get tired and so I would ask my mother to take a rickshaw but she also did not have an answer to that. So once in a week, we used to take a rickshaw ride,” Rahane said.

“I am here because of my parents. For them, I am still the same Ajinkya Rahane. My family has sacrificed a lot for me so it was my dream to do something for them. I had seen that during my train journeys when I was 7. My father came with me on my first day from Dombivli to CST and dropped me and went to work. The second day he told me that now on I had to travel alone.

So my father dropped me to Dombivli station and I took the train but later I got to know that my father was on the other compartment behind me. He followed me to CST to see if I could travel alone or not. Once he was assured that I was safe then he let me travel alone. I remember all the sacrifices they had made for me. They used to take me to cricket practice and never interfered or questioned about my performance,” Rahane recalled.