The relic named Rahane

For all those who feel the Indian Premier League is for younger players, performances from the seniors have been captivating in the 2023 edition. As the halfway stage has been crossed in the premier T20 domestic cricket fiesta, what has come as a huge surprise to many is how the Golden Oldies have fired.

One man who has taken the IPL 2023 by storm, and is researched as much as the bright youngsters like Rinku Singh and Arshdeep Singh, is Ajinkya Rahane. Jinx, as Rahane is popularly known, will turn 35 a day before the ICC World Test Championship final to be held at The Oval from June 7 against Australia.

First things first, no narrative is complete without a quick glance at the bio of Ajinkya Rahane, specifically in the IPL. He has been part of the IPL since the beginning, 2008, but it has taken the summer of 2023 for him to blossom. Transformation, rediscovery, reincarnation or a man batting like never before, Rahane has justified the faith shown in him by Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni.

As it is, a lot of tears are being shed for ‘Thala’, as Dhoni suggested this will be his last IPL. For all the speculation that he will be around in 2024 and play as an Impact Player, that may not be true. Dhoni has been a performer on a daily basis. He does not accept part-time roles. For a man dealing with a knee niggle, he is still a delight as captain, and captures the imagination of fans. MSD has the habit of turning lesser mortals into winners and marauders.

That is one of the biggest stories of this IPL where Dhoni has asked Rahane to take on a new role. There is a tag which has stuck with Rahane, that he is a red-ball artist with the bat, who scores runs with a safety margin on hand. What one has seen in this IPL season is something new, something refreshing. Bold and brutal would not be an exaggeration, as the 2023 version of Ajinkya Rahane is in beast mode. His aggression has been captured so beautifully with his skills, which suggests that he is not here just for fun.

The IPL is serious cricket for some, though cricketers like Rohit Sharma have made a mockery of leadership and shown a total lack of application. What Rahane has done is to change his whole batting grammar, attack bowlers, smash fours and hit sixes. Why were all these shots missing from his array before? That is the question being asked by several cricket fans and pundits.

These days, the IPL threatens to tear the very fabric of cricket-playing nations, with the English players now being tempted with full-time contracts by the IPL. What it means is the Englishmen can say goodbye to their own cricket, and sign mega deals with the IPL and be part of the circus. There is not just one league in India, franchises from India are controlling T20 cricket in so many countries. There is a fear, nay worry, that T20 will wreck all other forms of cricket. That may be too far-fetched, for the simple reason that cricket in any version will survive and audiences will engage with it. Be it Tests, ODIs or T20, people are ready to consume all forms.

Fans are excited to see Rahane in the role of Conan the Barbarian or like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator, ready to play instant cricket. He has become an instant hit and has spoken of how he is doing all this, credit to MS Dhoni. Imagine, in his sixth IPL team since 2008, and hardly spoken of till the last season, Rahane was bought by Chennai Super Kings at a steal deal of Rs 50 lakhs. Looking at his value, not in monetary terms, Rahane has shown he is playing the IPL with vigour. He is here to prove a point, to stay relevant.

If adaptation be an art and Dhoni be the guide, there are many cricketers Dhoni has mentored. To imagine a man (Rahane), who has been stand-in captain for Team India successfully so many times, would have some kind of a rebirth in this IPL proves what seniors can do. Dhoni is 42 and Rahane is 34. When the Mumbai Ranji captain got the nod to play for CSK, after missing a few matches, the role was decided. Rahane had to be an aggressor. He has smashed the white ball like youngsters who have grown up in a different generation.

Anyone who has heard Rahane speak will understand how Dhoni makes maestros out of those who have undermined their own value. We have seen Rahane as a solid batsman (now batter) whose Test style was about solidity and playing copybook shots. That the IPL needs him to hit fours and sixes is a great sight.

Why does the public connect with Rahane today? Simple, the man never got his due, his recognition. He was like that step-child, always made to wait for even the basic stuff. He never said no to Indian cricket, and even when he was dropped after the South Africa series and sat out for over a year, he did not sulk.

There are two sides of the Rahane story. The first is his evolution in white-ball cricket and how he went back to Ranji Trophy and led Mumbai in the 2022-23 season. He scored 532 runs for Mumbai, though the team did not make it too deep into the draw. That was not really his fault. Rahane has spoken of how he made changes in his technique.

It is one thing to adjust strokes according to the rigours of Ranji and quite another to make an impact in the IPL. These are two very different forms of cricket, which require a massive change in mindset. There is already talk, if Dhoni walks away after this season, Rahane can lead CSK in the 2024 season. This guy Rahane has never played cricket looking to achieve personal milestones. Rahane is not a selfish cricketer like Rohit Sharma, the Team India captain and the Mumbai Indians captain.

Rohit has shown himself in poor light as a leader, where he has backers in Sunil Gavaskar. Anyone who has followed Bombay cricket over the decades will know how much of bias there is in their cricket. For Gavaskar to suggest Rohit needs to conserve himself in the IPL and be ready for the ICC Test Championship final is ridiculous. Captaincy is not a part-time job, which, of course, Rohit has made it out to be.

In sharp comparison, Rahane, who should have been Team India captain, digs his heels, bats and then stays relevant. At almost 35, his spirit and approach are a lesson for youngsters. Sample this, in the famous 2021 series against Australia Down Under, Rahane was the leader, a man who joined hands with Ravi Shastri to bring the best out of the boys. That was after Virat Kohli took an (in)famous paternity break.

When Jinx was dropped, he did not mind it. He went back to ply his trade in first class cricket. That he has been a box office hit in the IPL is news. More recently, Rahane being picked in the Indian team for the ICC Test Championship final in June has led to some lousy comments. To suggest that Rahane is a substitute for Shreyas Iyer who is injured would be an insult to the senior pro.

Shreyas has dealt with injuries several times, and the latest back surgery is going to keep him out for a long time. Rahane has made it to the team on merit, not just because of his IPL explosive bursts but because he has the pedigree. Those innocents of cricket will talk of the IPL alone being the yardstick for his inclusion in the Test team. He may be part of the Indian team in the West Indies tour as well.

Rahane’s Test experience is rich, smells good like filter coffee. He has played 82 Tests, has shown application and batted. Between him and Cheteshwar Pujara, the Test middle-order looks well-composed. If you are going to talk of how youngsters are not being groomed as middle-order batters, how many have the calibre to play in England against an inspired Australia. The class of Virat Kohli, Pujara and Rahane is a treat. Rohit may be the captain, but the countdown has begun. His days are numbered, though he will lead India in the ICC World Cup as well this October/November at home.

Back to Rahane, romancing the IPL reminds you of his fitness, hunger and willingness to adapt. It is unique. Maybe, Dhoni sees in Rahane a potential captain who can lead the CSK campaign in 2024. If you think all this is fiction, watch the IPL. The more you see matches, the clearer it becomes, men in mid-30s or more are here to deliver. These are signs of a professional playing trade and earning the bread. Last but not the least, there is passion when you see Rahane and Kohli play in the IPL this summer.

There is nostalgia and there is romance. For youngsters, there is so much to learn as well, which includes a whole bunch. Rahane has grabbed headlines and it’s good to see a man who was treated shabbily by the BCCI come up as a superstar, once again.