Ajinkya Rahane: Comeback Of The Player
In T20 cricket, Ajinkya Rahane is not regarded as an explosive hitter, but the veteran disproved this notion with his magnificent 29-ball-71, which helped Chennai Super Kings defeat Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
CSK went on to achieve their third-highest total in the competition thanks to the innings’ 5 sixes and 6 boundaries. A reverse scoop off Kulwant Khejroliya bowling that went for six was one of the strokes that stood out. The right-hander scooped the ball over third base for a huge six by opening the face of his bat.
As the experienced Indian hitter continued to astound spectators with his never-before power hitting in this season’s Indian Premier League, he gave hero MS Dhoni credit for his transformation at Chennai Super Kings. In their IPL match on Sunday, CSK crushed KKR by 49 runs thanks to Rahane’s eye-popping 29-ball 71 not out, which was his second half-century of the year.
Rahane said in the post-match press conference, “The only thing I tell you… I really enjoyed my knock, really happy that we won this match.”
Rahane credited Dhoni for giving him the chance to recover his form, saying that all he needed was the chance.
When you play with Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni), you have the potential to learn a lot of things. You constantly want to improve as a batter and cricketer, he added.
Rahane spent the previous season with KKR and only had a few opportunities to play while playing for Shreyas Iyer’s team. He participated in seven games, scoring only 133 runs at a strike rate under 104.
The 34-year-old batsman, who was released from the Test squad following the series in South Africa in January of last year, found new life after joining the Dhoni-led team.
At his basic price of Rs. 50 lakhs, CSK was the only team to make an offer for Rahane.
“I’m getting opportunities to play now, which is the turning point. I was overjoyed when CSK chose me. They allowed me to play and express myself, said Rahane.
“As you can see, I wasn’t given many chances to play one or two years ago. And how would you demonstrate your arsenal of shots if you didn’t participate in matches? ” He said.
As CSK scored an impressive 235 for 4 in 20 overs, a transformed Rahane stunned Eden Gardens with his exceptional stroke-play, which was equal parts supported by the powerful Shivam Dube (50 off 21 balls) and the reliable Devon Conway (56 off 40 balls).
CSK now leads the table with 10 points after seven games thanks to the victory, while KKR is now in eighth place out of ten teams following their fifth loss at the halfway point.
After being dropped from the national Test team last year, Rahane is experiencing somewhat of a comeback during this IPL. He has scored 209 runs in five games with an astounding strike rate of 199.04 and an average of 52.25. He has scored two half-centuries to date with the best score of 71*.
