Ajinkya Rahane, ageing like fine wine

Bengaluru: The Kolkata Knight Riders think-tank must be a happy bunch right now after seeing their cut-price purchase Ajinkya Rahane turn the clock back with some sensational performances in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy.

Released by Chennai Super Kings following a fruitful two-year stay and relinquished of captaincy by Mumbai, who handed the reigns to Shreyas Iyer, Rahane’s Rs 1.5 crore acquisition by defending champions KKR at the auctions last month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was seen with apprehension by many pundits.

Many felt the powers of the former India captain were on the wane following an eye-popping 2023 IPL where CSK took a punt in opening with him and the veteran repaid that faith with 326 runs in 14 matches at a scorching strike-rate of 172.49. In this year’s IPL, Rahane struggled, mustering just 242 runs in 13 innings, striking the ball at a poor 123.47.

A prized fighter all his life, Rahane is somehow is able to find that injection of adrenaline when his breath appears to run out. To that, Rahane has been in sizzling touch in this season’s SMAT. Opening the batting for the domestic heavyweights Mumbai, Rahane has blazed a trail and he upped the ante in the semifinals against Baroda at a gloomy Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Friday.

In a mood from the moment he took guard, Rahane, who leads the charts this season with 432 runs at a superb strike rate of 169.41, bludgeoned Baroda bowlers to all parts of the ground in the victorious chase of the 159-run target. In fact, he almost got to a century before falling for a 56-ball 98.

The innings was a mix of his usual classical play and the newfound cavalier attitude. He decorated the lush green carpet with some gorgeous drives, unleashed his trademark pulls and then brought out the daredevilry in hammering five sixes, some of which hit the roof of the stadium. Even T20 marauders, Suryakumar Yadav, his team-mate, and Hardik Pandya of Baroda were left spellbound.

“I'm really happy the way I'm batting at the moment,” a delighted Rahane told reporters after bagging the Player of the Match. “This format is all about expressing ourselves, playing with intent and I'm happy that it's coming off really well.”

Rahane said his move to CSK helped him rediscover himself. “When I played for CSK, they gave me the platform and the freedom to express myself. The message was clear from them, just go out there and play my game. That's my natural game.

“I always played with the intent that I'm an aggressive batsman. Whenever I played for other franchises, my role was different in those franchises. Like Rajasthan Royals, it was always about playing an anchor role and others will play around me. So it's always about the team for me.”

Ageing like fine wine, Rahane said the fire still burns bright in him and he still hasn’t given up on donning the India cap again. “I still love the game. I'm still passionate about the game. And the fire inside me is still alive to represent India.

“I always want to continue doing well for the team. Be it in domestic cricket or if I get a chance in future, in international cricket.”

While Rahane’s dream of playing for India may sound a little overzealous considering his age and the abundance of young talent on the roster, his blistering form may have given KKR a shot in the arm for IPL 2025.

Brief scores (semifinals):

Baroda: 158/7 in 20 overs (Shashwat Rawat 33, Krunal Pandya 30, Shivalik Sharma 36 n.o.; Suryansh Shedge 2-11) lt to Mumbai: 164/4 in 17.2 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 98, Shreyas Iyer 46) by 6 wkts. PoM: Ajinkya Rahane.

Delhi: 146/5 in 20 overs (Priyansh Arya 29, Anuj Rawat 33 n.o.; Venkatesh Iyer 2-12) lt to Madhya Pradesh: 152/3 in 15.4 overs (Harsh Gawli 30, Harpreet Singh 46 n.o., Rajat Patidar 66 n.o.; Ishant Sharma 2-12) by 7 wkts. PoM: Rajat Patidar.