Ajinkya Rahane retires: BCCI chief hails him as model team-first cricketer
Synopsis
Ajinkya Rahane has retired from international cricket — and the BCCI's tribute cuts to the heart of why he mattered. The man who took a shattered, 36-all-out Indian side to The Gabba and won leaves behind a legacy that transcends his 5,077 Test runs: he was the cricketer teammates trusted most when the odds were worst.
Key Takeaways
Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket on 30 July .
He played 85 Tests , 90 ODIs , and 20 T20Is , scoring 5,077 Test runs at an average of 38.46 with 12 centuries .
His last international appearance was a Test against the West Indies in July 2023 .
BCCI President Mithun Manhas called his career 'a fine example of what it means to put the team first.' Rahane captained India to a 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in 2020-21 , including the historic victory at The Gabba , after India were bowled out for 36 in the first Test.
He scored overseas Test centuries at Lord's, Wellington, Melbourne, Kingston, and Durban .
Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket on Thursday, 30 July, drawing heartfelt tributes from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which described his career as a benchmark in selfless, team-first cricket. The Mumbai-based batter represented India across all three formats over more than a decade of international service.
BCCI President's Tribute
BCCI President Mithun Manhas led the official farewell, stating in a BCCI release: 'Ajinkya Rahane's career is a fine example of what it means to put the team first. He earned his reputation through performances in some of the toughest conditions in world cricket and became one of India's most dependable batters overseas.'
Manhas specifically singled out Rahane's captaincy during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy as a defining chapter in Indian cricket history. 'Taking charge after the opening Test, he led a young side through extraordinary circumstances to a famous series victory, culminating in the historic triumph at The Gabba,' Manhas added.
A Career Defined by Numbers and Nerve
Rahane played 85 Tests, 90 ODIs, and 20 T20Is for India. In the longest format, he accumulated 5,077 runs at an average of 38.46, including 12 centuries. He scored 2,962 ODI runs at an average of 35.26 with three hundreds, and added 375 T20I runs at a strike rate of 113.29.
His last international appearance came in a Test match against the West Indies in July 2023. As captain, Rahane led India in six Tests, winning four and drawing two. He was also part of India's squads at the 2015 ODI World Cup and the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups.
The Gabba Legacy
The most celebrated passage of Rahane's career came during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, played against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. He assumed the captaincy after Virat Kohli departed for paternity leave following a first-Test defeat at the Adelaide Oval, where India were dismissed for 36 — their lowest-ever Test total.
Rahane then steered a depleted, injury-hit squad to a 2-1 series triumph, capped by the famous victory at The Gabba in Brisbane — a ground Australia had not lost at in over 32 years. The win is widely regarded as one of the greatest team performances in Indian cricket history.
Overseas Record and Quiet Dignity
More than half of Rahane's Test appearances came in overseas conditions. He scored Test centuries at Lord's, Wellington, Melbourne, Kingston, and Durban — a list that cemented his reputation as a batter who rose to the occasion on challenging tracks against quality pace and bounce.
BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia paid tribute to Rahane's character as much as his craft. 'Ajinkya, you can be immensely proud of the way you led India and the way you played this great game. You played cricket with the utmost sincerity and integrity, qualities every dressing room values,' Saikia said. He added: 'Through important innings, thoughtful leadership and the example you set for younger players, you made every team you represented stronger.'
What Comes Next
Rahane, who has continued to perform in domestic cricket, is expected to remain active at the franchise and first-class level. His retirement closes a chapter on one of India's most dependable overseas batters of the past decade, and the BCCI's effusive send-off signals the esteem in which he is held within Indian cricket's establishment.
Point of View
Yet he consistently delivered in conditions where others failed — a pattern the selection committee did not always reward consistently. The 2020-21 Gabba win remains arguably the single greatest leadership performance by an Indian captain in overseas conditions, yet Rahane was eased out of the Test side within two years of it. His farewell raises a structural question: does Indian cricket's relentless churn through middle-order batters risk discarding precisely the temperament it needs most in crises?
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ajinkya Rahane retire from international cricket?
Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket on 30 July, bringing a close to a career spanning 85 Tests, 90 ODIs, and 20 T20Is. His last international appearance had come in a Test against the West Indies in July 2023, making his exit from the national setup effectively a two-year gap before the formal announcement.
What is Ajinkya Rahane's Test record?
Rahane scored 5,077 runs in 85 Tests at an average of 38.46, including 12 centuries. He captained India in six Tests, winning four and drawing two, with his most celebrated stint being the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
What made the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy so significant for Rahane?
Rahane took over as captain after Virat Kohli left for paternity leave, with India having just been bowled out for 36 — their lowest-ever Test total — in the first Test at Adelaide. He led a depleted, injury-hit side to a 2-1 series win, culminating in a historic victory at The Gabba, where Australia had not lost in over 32 years.
What did BCCI officials say about Rahane's retirement?
BCCI President Mithun Manhas called Rahane's career 'a fine example of what it means to put the team first' and described the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy captaincy as 'one of the defining chapters in Indian Cricket.' BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia praised Rahane's 'utmost sincerity and integrity' and said his contributions 'went far beyond the runs he scored.'
Where did Ajinkya Rahane score his overseas Test centuries?
Rahane scored Test centuries at Lord's (England), Wellington (New Zealand), Melbourne (Australia), Kingston (West Indies), and Durban (South Africa), underlining his reputation as one of India's most dependable batters in challenging overseas conditions.
