JOIN USI love facing challenges, asserts Rahane
In the fast-paced delirium of Twenty20 cricket, Ajinkya Rahane has stood out with his straight bat. A purist in the times of maverick shot-making, he is an unapologetic stickler to the text-book form of the game. The 26-year-old insists that even in today's game, run-making is possible through conventional strokes.
Rahane, in the last couple of years, has stridden across the three formats with the ease he goes about his batting. With Rajasthan Royals for five years now, Rahane has evolved into a batsman capable of racking quick runs as well as anchoring the innings.
“In shorter format everyone says fours and sixes are very important. My point of view is that, you play normal cricketing shots and you will get as many runs as any player. Even singles and doubles are very crucial in the shorter format. I know that my strength is to time the ball and I want to stick to that,” Rahane told Deccan Herald.
Rahane stood out in the tour Down Under and said he learnt from every game.“I have really enjoyed my last two years after the South Africa tour. I learnt a lot from all the overseas tours including the World Cup and Australian tour. I was looking to learn something even during practice sessions,” he said.
Rahane also attributed his rise to IPL. “The IPL gave me a lot of confidence on facing international bowlers and facing new challenges. It taught me a lot about my batting, my cricketing awareness and my accelerating got better after I started playing in IPL. Playing in Ranji Trophy for 5-6 years also helped.”
Challenges, Rahane admitted, bring out the best in him. “I love facing challenges. I learnt this from Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, like how he handles himself in pressure situations and remain calm. I look to stay calm whenever there is a tense situation,” explained Rahane.
Former India captain Dravid has played a significant role in his career. Rahane, who calls him his role model, said he has picked up the art of building an innings from him.
“I am naturally an attacking batsman but over a period of time, I have learnt to build the innings. I am enjoying my time with Royals which has players like Rahul Dravid and Shane Watson. I really look upto these guys,” said the Mumbai right-hander.