India recall Ajinkya Rahane to squad for World Test Championship final against Australia

25.04.2023 - 12:13 thenationalnews.com

India have recalled batsman Ajinkya Rahane to their squad for June's World Test Championship final against Australia. Rahane, who last played a Test in the series against South Africa in January 2022, comes in to replace the injured Shreyas Iyer, who is currently in the UK for shoulder surgery.

The usually sedate Rahane has surprised many with a newfound explosiveness in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings and has a strike-rate of more than 199 in five matches this season.

On Sunday, he produced a player-of-the-match unbeaten knock of 71 off 29 balls to help Chennai defeat Kolkata Knight Riders by 49 runs.

Top-order batter Rahane has played 82 Tests, scoring 4,931 runs at an average of 38.52. He was in India's XI when they reached the inaugural World Test Championship final in 2021, when they lost to New Zealand.

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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.

Kishan replaces Rahul in India squad for WTC final

Ishan Kishan will replace the injured KL Rahul in India's squad for next month's World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said on Monday.

"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.

Injuries Add To India's Miseries Ahead Of World Test Championship 2023 Final

The Indian test team has suffered a huge blow ahead of their World Test Championship final against Australia as KL Rahul and Jaydev Unadkat suffered injuries on Monday against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Key opening batter KL Rahul and pacer Jaydev Unadkat have sent scares through the national camp with hamstring and shoulder problems respectively, both while on IPL duty. Left-arm quick Unadkat fell in a freak accident on Sunday, tripping on a wire in his follow-through during a net session. The 31-year-old left training heavily strapped, and is a doubt to take part in the one-off World Test Championship final at The Oval from June 7.

"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.