‘Forgotten’ Ajinkya Rahane reveals he wants to play Test cricket but got ignored from BCCI selectors

Since making his debut in 2013, Rahane has earned 85 Test caps, garnered 5077 runs at 38.46, laced with 12 centuries and 16 fifties

At a time when India is in the middle of a tense Test series in England, former vice-captain and veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane has resurfaced in the conversation with his confession. Present at Lord’s for the third Test as a guest, the 37-year-old Rahane opened up on his continued passion for Test cricket and the painful silence he’s faced from Indian selectors despite his efforts to make a comeback.

“I Still Want to Play Test Cricket”

Rahane, who last played for India during the 2023 West Indies tour, was dropped from the squad soon after and has since toiled in domestic cricket. In a candid chat with Sky Sports on Day 3 at Lord’s, Rahane admitted his love for the red-ball format remains as strong as ever. But more poignantly, he revealed that his attempts to reach out to the national selectors have been met with complete silence.

“I still want to play Test cricket, I am passionate about Test cricket. For me, it is about focusing on the controllable. Frankly, I tried to have conversations with the selectors, but I got no response. What I can do is keep playing. I love Test cricket. I love playing with the red ball. It is a passion,” Rahane told Sky Sports.

The silence would have stung more considering Rahane’s massive experience and past contributions in some of India’s most historic Test victories, most notably in Australia during the 2020–21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He led India in the final three Tests. India remained unbeaten in all three of them.

He led India to the famous series win Down Under in 2021 after Virat Kohli’s departure on paternity leave. Under his calm leadership, India won at Melbourne and famously breached the Gabba fortress. He also contributed with the bat, scoring 268 runs in the series, including a century at the MCG.

“I always wanted to back my style, thinking, and instinct,” Rahane said when asked about his leadership during that series. “Every captain must have their own style… for me, it was about staying true to my character.”

No room despite Rohit-Kohli retirements

Despite his pedigree and leadership record, Rahane finds himself on the sidelines as Indian selectors continue to back a younger core. The retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli could have opened the door, but Rahane was once again overlooked for the England series. Instead, India called up Karun Nair, who outshone Rahane in domestic cricket in terms of run scoring.

Also, it is not the case that Rahane didn’t get enough opportunities. He was India’s fixed number five batter until Rahane got into a slump. From 2020 to 2023, he played 19 Tests, which is way more than Rohit Sharma (13). However, Rahane could muster only 819 runs at an average of 24.08. Also, the prominence of a budding Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant also played some part in Rahane’s ouster from the senior team.

Ajinkya Rahane at Ranji Trophy 24/25

• Runs: 467
• Innings: 14
• Average: 35.92
• Strike Rate: 53.80

In domestic cricket, he led Mumbai to the Ranji Trophy semi-finals, scoring 467 runs in nine matches. While the runs and leadership were steady, they weren’t enough to force his way back in.