Indian team needed me in Australia, says Ajinkya Rahane

India’s veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane believes the team needed him in the Border-Gavaskar trophy in Australia in 2024-25 series. Rahane was not picked in the Test squad as India suffered a 3-1 series loss against the home team. The Mumbai batter last played for India in 2023, when he managed 11 runs in two Test matches against the West Indies while playing away.

Meanwhile, Rahane recently returned with scores of 27 and 0 in the Ranji Trophy clash against Jammu and Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, Srinagar. Rahane said he was fully prepared for the Australian tour but the selectors ignored him.

“Whether they select me or not, that’s their call, but I personally feel that the Indian team needed me in Australia, and I was fully ready for it,” Rahane said in an interview with Sportstar.

Rahane said senior players like him should be given more chances and also revealed that the selectors didn’t have any discussion with him before dropping him out of the squad.

“After playing so much cricket, when experienced players like me were dropped, I got a sense that there’s something different. I feel an experienced player like me should get more chances when he makes a comeback. But there was no communication,” the former India vice-captain said.

Rahane has scored 5077 runs in 85 Test matches at an average of 38.46. The right-hander had also returned with scores of 89 and 46 in the World Test Championship final against Australia in 2023 but his efforts had gone in vain.

Rahane also led India to glory in the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2020-21 as he led from the front. The 37-year-old had scored a fine century in the Melbourne Test after India lost the opening Test ignominously at Adelaide.