
Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this week, thus ending a 15-year journey with the Indian national team. With Rahane's retirement, it officially brought an end to the quartet of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, who all hanged their boots last year.
In an era that was dominated by superstars like Rohit and Virat, Rahane put on a memorable grind with the bat for years, quietly steering the newer generation of Indian cricket in a positive direction by setting an example with his patient, but long-term rewarding batsmanship and calm, composed and unflinchingly positive leadership.
One of the highlights of Rahane's India career came during the 2020-21 Australian tour. After India were bowled out for paltry 36 in the first Test in Sydney, followed by injuries to some of the senior players and unavailability of Virat Kohli for the last three Tests, Rahane forced a dramatic turnaround.
Under Rahane's leadership, the Indian team won the Test series over Australia. The last time Rahane donned the Indian jersey was in 2023 against west Indies in an away series. It was also the same series that Cheteshwar Pujara last played for India too.
Although Rahane didn't speak about his domestic and Indian Premier League (IPL) ambitions, the 38-year-old moves into a new phase of life and will be exploring new ways for income. The former right-hander will receive a monthly pension from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Based on BCCI's pension scheme, Rahane will get a monthly amount of ₹70,000 from the Indian cricket board. Since Rahane has played more than 80 Test matches, he falls under the upper tier of former Indian Test players. it was ₹50000 per month in this category initially, but got a hike in 2022, when BCCI announced increase in monthly pensions of former cricketers.
In Tests, Rahane played 85 matches and 144 innings, scoring 5,077 runs, including 12 centuries, at an average of 38.46 and a strike rate of 49.50. In ODIs, he featured in 90 matches and 87 innings, scoring 2,962 runs, with 3 centuries and 24 fifties, at an average of 35.26 and a strike rate of 78.63.
In T20Is, he played 20 matches and 20 innings, scoring 375 runs, with no centuries and one fifty, at an average of 20.83 and a strike rate of 113.29.In 195 international matches, he has scored 8,414 runs in 251 innings at an average of 35.95, with 15 centuries and 51 fifties, with best score of 188.
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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