Solidity, not IPL led to Rahane’s Test recall

Sources reveal national selectors picked Ajinkya for WTC final based on his decent effort in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai; recent slam-bang for CSK was by the way

Ajinkya Rahane’s solidity and not his recent Indian Premier League (IPL) form for Chennai Super Kings, played a major role in his comeback to the Indian team for the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in London from June 7 to 11.

Sources said that the selectors considered his decent show in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai and were convinced that the team would need his ability and experience in English conditions. It could be said that the fluency shown in the IPL delighted the selectors, but they already had him in mind (before his 71 against KKR) what with Rahane’s Mumbai colleague Shreyas Iyer out due to a back injury. Iyer would have certainly been on the plane to London had it not been for his injury which required recent surgery in England.

National selector Salil Ankola, who was Mumbai’s chairman of selectors when the former champions were well into their domestic season, had watched Rahane, 34, bat well for Mumbai. India’s 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy-winning skipper scored 204 against Hyderabad and 191 against Assam apart from a half-century against Delhi as he amassed 634 runs in seven matches at an average of 57.00 in the Ranji Trophy.

Also Read: Rahane, a clear asset in England, say ex-selectors

Rahane’s last Test hundred came against the Australians in Melbourne during the 2020-21 series. The right-handed batting stalwart has played three series against England on their home soil and scored a match-winning hundred at Lord’s on the 2014 trip.

India’s Test squad for WTC final

Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.

634
Total runs Ajinkya Rahane scored in seven Ranji matches

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