Ajinkya Rahane's Return To India's Test Team For WTC Final Sends Twitter Into Meltdown

25.04.2023 - 06:57 sports.ndtv.com

Fans rejoiced as veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane made his return to the Indian squad for the World Test Championship final against Australia.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad on Tuesday, handing the 34-year-old a return for the summit clash against Australia in June.

It was at the start of last year that Rahane had featured in the whites for India, playing against Australia. Having done the hard work in domestic cricket and shown exemplary form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the 34-year-old impressed the selectors enough to earn a recall.

Rahane's comeback after 15 months was on predictable lines after Shreyas Iyer's back injury ruled him out of the grand finale.

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Indian cricket team pacer Mohammed Siraj recalled his Test debut against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and how he was surprised at not given the ball in the first session of the encounter. Siraj got the chance to play his first Test after experienced pacer Mohammed Shami was ruled out due to injury and Virat Kohli had to return to India for the birth of his daughter. In a recent interaction, Siraj said that he was taken aback and even joked about whether he was Kohli's replacement in the match.

"Opportunities Don't Come Everyday": Sourav Ganguly On Ajinkya Rahane's WTC Final Selection

Hailing the Team India comeback of Ajinkya Rahane, former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly hoped that the seasoned batter makes "most" of the opportunity in next month's World Test Championship final against Australia. On the back of his splendid show in the ongoing Indian Premier League, the 34-year-old has earned a Test recall after 18 months. The WTC final is scheduled to be held from June 7-11 at the Oval in London. "I have always liked him. He has always been a good player for India," said the former India captain during a promotional event here. The Chennai Super Kings batter has scored 224 runs in six innings this IPL at an average of 44.80 and with an astonishing 189-plus strike-rate.

Ex-India Star Bats For Ajinkya Rahane's ODI Return. Sunil Gavaskar Disagrees

Former India pacer S Sreesanth has backed veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane's return to the white-ball squads in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup, which will be held in India later this year. Rahane, who last played an ODI in 2018, recently earned a recall to the Test squad for the upcoming World Test Championship final. The 34-year-old has been in blistering form for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). So far, Rahane has scored 224 runs in seven matches at an average of 44.8.

IPL 2023: Did KKR Make A Mistake By Not Retaining Shubman Gill? CEO's Blunt Response

Kolkata Knight Riders "do not regret" losing players who are now bringing laurels to other franchises, said team CEO and managing director Venky Mysore on Sunday, adding they made the decisions based on "available information". Shubman Gill's loss has been Gujarat Titans' gain as the India opener played a key role in winning the title in their maiden appearance last season. "There is actually happiness when we see some of the players we have developed go to other franchises and do well -- Shubman gill is an example," Mysore told reporters on the sidelines of Knight Golf event here.

Chennai Super Kings Predicted XI vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2023: Will MS Dhoni And Co. Make Any Changes?

Four-time champions Chennai Super Kings are all set to take on Punjab Kings in their next IPL 2023 match on Sunday at Chepauk. The MS Dhoni-led side will be coming to this clash after facing a 32-run defeat against Rajasthan Royals but they will be favorites in the match against PBKS. CSK are dealing with the injury concerns of Deepak Chahar and Ben Stokes but have managed the proceedings well as youngsters like Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, and others are contributing well. There are chances that CSK might go ahead with their same side against PBKS.

"Nothing Like It": How MS Dhoni's Masterstroke Made CSK Bid For Ajinkya Rahane Ahead Of IPL 2023

Ajinkya Rahane has emerged as a superstar for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and his aggressive brand of batting has both stunned and thrilled the fans. The experienced India batter has slammed 224 runs in six matches but it is his strike rate of 189.83 that has been the highlight of the season. The new found aggression has made him a mainstay of the CSK middle order and it has also allowed players like Shivam Dube and Ambati Rayudu to flourish.