In recent months, Ajinkya Rahane has experienced a remarkable turnaround in his fortunes. After an impressive domestic season and stellar performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) under the leadership of MS Dhoni, there has been a dramatic change in Rahane’s trajectory. Having previously been dropped from the Indian Test team after the series against South Africa and largely ignored, he made a remarkable comeback on the back of his exceptional performances in the cash-rich league. This resurgence paved the way for his inclusion in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Dropped from the Test team.
_Remove from BCCI’s Central Contact.
_Performed in domestic and IPL.
_ Return to the Test team after 512 days.
_Most runs for India in WTC final.
_ Appointed as vice-captain in West Indies Test.What an incredible journey for Ajinkya Rahane – Take a bow, Rahane. pic.twitter.com/ueJqQw7uUL– Cricketman2 (@imtanujsingh) 23 June 2023
In the crucial WTC final against Australia, Rahane’s impact was immediate and significant. His resilient innings of 89 in the first innings saved India from an embarrassing situation. Without his contribution, India, led by Rohit Sharma, could have faced the follow-on and struggled to extend the match to a fifth day. Rahane emerged as the highest run-scorer for India in the match, cementing his position in the Test squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies.
The selectors not only named Rahane in the 16-man squad but also handed him the vice-captaincy. If India captain Rohit Sharma gets injured or takes a break during the Test match against the West Indies, Rahane will take over as captain on the field. The selectors’ decision assumes significance, especially considering that Rahane was not even in India’s plans during the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia earlier this year.
To be fair, the selectors found themselves with limited options and eventually had to turn to Rahane. Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped from the Test squad, making way for Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Another notable lapse was from Mohammed Shami. With two senior players absent from the Test squad, the selectors had to consider other possible options, namely Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
It is highly unlikely that Kohli’s name figured in the meeting as he has repeatedly expressed his desire to step down from leadership responsibilities. Jadeja’s captaincy stint for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL was not a successful one. Thus, the decision probably came down to Rahane and Ashwin. Given Rahane’s prior experience in a similar role early in his career, it makes sense to hand him the responsibility. Considering the absence of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah from the series, Rahane emerged as the most sensible option for the upcoming tour of West Indies.