After longtime teammate Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket and all formats on Thursday, former Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara paid an emotional tribute to Rahane, calling it a privilege to have shared the dressing room and created priceless memories with one of India’s most reliable Test cricketers.
Rahane ended his 12-year international career, which included 85 Test matches, 90 ODIs, and 20 T20Is. He left behind a legacy of inspiring leadership and success abroad.
Cheteshwar Pujara Pens Emotional Not For Ajinkya Rahane
Pujara praised his old teammate on a career he believes will be remembered with pride. Pujara and Rahane formed several important combinations in India’s middle order during memorable international tours.
“Congratulations on a career you can be incredibly proud of, Ajinkya! It has been an honour sharing the dressing room with you over the years and building partnerships and memories on and off the field that will always fondly remember. Wishing you and the family the absolute best in this next chapter,” Pujara wrote on X.
Pujara and Rahane, who formed a reliable middle-order tandem in difficult international conditions, were key players in India’s Test comeback over the preceding ten years. Together, they were instrumental in historic wins in England, Australia, New Zealand, and the West Indies, frequently saving India from dire circumstances with calm and tenacious batting.
Rahane’s Captaincy Legacy
Rahane’s career peaked following India’s historic victory in the 2020-21 Test series in Australia. Rahane led the team to an incredible 2-1 comeback following India’s 36-run collapse in Adelaide and Virat Kohli’s paternity leave departure. He scored a century in Melbourne and oversaw the historic series-winning triumph at the .
scored 12 hundreds and 5,077 runs at an average of 38.46 in 85 Test matches, eight of which were outside of India. In addition, he represented India in 20 T20Is and amassed 2,962 runs in 90 ODIs. He won four of his six matches and drew the other two while serving as Test captain.