Ajinkya Rahane’s retirement officially ends India’s iconic Test middle-order trio with Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. From 2013-23, they scored 21,502 runs, hit 61 centuries, and powered India to historic overseas triumphs in a golden era.
Indian Test cricket has become poorer with the retirement of former captain and veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane from his international career. Rahane officially pulled the curtains down on his over-a-decade career in international cricket, leaving behind an exemplary legacy of grit, elegance, and historic leadership.
The 38-year-old fell out of favour with the BCCI selectors following the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 against Australia, where he was India’s highest run-getter with 135 runs, as they decided to priortise young blood in the longest format of the game, ultimately bringing a definitive end to his decorated international journey.
Having been out of the national setup for nearly three years, Ajinkya Rahane officially decided to step away from the international stage, concluding his remarkable journey as one of India’s finest red-ball specialists and a truly dependable leader, whose calm captaincy and memorable performances earned him widespread admiration.
Also Read: Virat Kohli pens touching tribute to ‘favourite’ partner Ajinkya Rahane
India’s Middle Order That Defined a Generation
The international retirement of Ajinkya Rahane has brought an end to the era of one of India’s greatest Test middle orders. Before Rahane stepped away from his international career, two players from the iconic trio had already moved on, with Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara previously concluding their own illustrious chapters.
Kohli bid adieu to his Test career after 14 years and 123 matches in May last year, just before India’s red-ball tour of England, and Pujara called time on his storied career in August 2025. The trio of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane wasn’t just the backbone of India’s batting, but it was also the heartbeat of the team’s most successful Test era.
From 2013 to 2023, they anchored India’s surge to the pinnacle of Test cricket, registering unforgettable overseas victories in Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, while instilling a fierce winning mentality that transformed the team into a global powerhouse. Kohli, Pujara, and Rahane were part of India’s back-to-back Test series victories in Australia.
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Between Virat Kohli (9230), Cheteshwar Pujara (7195), and Ajinkya Rahane (5077), they have combined for an astounding 21,502 runs and 61 centuries, stamping their names permanently in the annals of cricket history as architects of a golden era that will be celebrated for generations to come.
India’s No.3, 4, and 5 batters became the ultimate symbols of reliability, absorbing tough spells from elite fast bowlers and wearing down opposition attacks across the globe.
Fans Remember India’s Iconic Test Middle-Order Trio
The international retirement of Ajinkya Rahane has made fans emotional not only because of his farewell, but because it officially marks the end of India’s iconic Test middle-order trio, which includes Rahane, Virat Kohli, and Cheteshwar Pujara. The fans and cricket enthusiasts on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter) recalled their middle-order contribution.
Taking to their X handles, many fans described Kohli, Pujara and Rahane as the trio that defined a generation of Indian Test cricket, recalling how they seamlessly filled the void left by Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Others hailed them as the backbone of India’s Test batting for over a decade.
Some highlighted the trio’s combined tally of Test runs and centuries, calling it a testament to their remarkable consistency and longevity. However, others argued that their numbers do not fully capture the impact they had on Indian Test cricket, crediting them for their overseas victories and helping establish India as one of the dominant forces in the longest format.
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Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane were part of India’s 18 consecutive Test series wins at home, starting from 2013 and continuing through their dominant run, building a fortress that made winning in India an impossible mountain for visiting teams to climb.
Also Read: Ajinkya Rahane retires: Pujara, Sindhu laud veteran’s career
India’s Top 16 Leading Run-Getters in Tests Retired
With the retirement of Ajinkya Rahane from international cricket, all members of India’s top 16 of historical Test run-scorers have officially completed their legendary careers, closing out a monumental era for the national team.
Since last year, four players, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane, have stepped away from the red-ball format one by one, leaving behind staggering career milestones and a legacy of dominance across home and overseas conditions. Rahane’s retirement marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in Indian Test cricket.
Ajinkya retired from international cricket as India’s 13th leading run-getter in Tests, with 5077 runs, including 12 centuries and 26 fifties, at an average of 38.46 in 85 matches. He remains one of only 13 Indian batters to have crossed the 5,000-run mark in Test cricket, underlining his consistency and importance in India’s golden era in the longest format.
Since Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement, at least 14 prominent regular Test players, including veterans of the golden era, have transitioned away from the format, marking a complete changing of the guard for Indian red-ball cricket.