Ajinkya Rahane calls time on international and domestic cricket career

Ajinkya Rahane has called time on his cricket career, retiring from international cricket and all formats of the game. Rahane played for India as a dependable middle-order batter and former Test vice-captain. He’s best remembered for leading India to the historic Gabba Test win in 2021 and for his gritty knocks in overseas conditions.

Known for his calm temperament, technique, and leadership, Rahane played a key role in India’s Test success over the last decade. He also featured in ODIs and T20Is and had a long IPL career. The end of an era for Indian cricket. Rahane walks away as one of India’s most composed Test batsmen of the 2010s-2020s.\

Rahane's last competitive match was for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the last IPL and his decision to retire means the franchise will have to look for a new captain. Rahane led KKR in the last two seasons but finished with unimpressive returns as they finished seventh in 2026 and eighth in 2025.

Rahane finishes his international career of 12 years that spanned from 2011 to 2023 with 5077 runs at 38.46 with 12 centuries, 2962 ODI runs at 35.26 with three hundreds and 375 T20I runs at 20.83 with a strike rate of 113.29. He led India in six Tests, of which they won four and drew two.

"I've always relied on timing in my batting... Today, I feel the timing is right for me to move on and announce my retirement from international cricket and all formats." He recalled starting out traveling from Dombivli as a young boy just to practice, saying "I gave this game everything I had." His dream was always "to wear the India cap."

"I played this game with complete honesty... I lived by one simple rule: always put my country and my team ahead of myself. If your intent is right, the game will always take care of you."

While my chapter as an Indian cricketer comes to an end, my journey with the game doesn't." He plans to help the next generation and "give back to the game that has given me everything."

A very Rahane-style farewell — humble, team-first, and focused on service. No bitterness, just gratitude for a 20-year journey from Dombivli to playing for India.

Rahane conquered more overseas grounds, scoring Test centuries in Melbourne, Kingston and Colombo, while also smashing twin centuries in the Delhi Test against South Africa in December 2015.

But he started getting dropped around 2017-18 as the big scores started to dry up. His most impactful series was in 2020-21 in Australia, when India were bundled for 36 in Adelaide, regular captain Virat Kohli flew back home for the birth of his first child and the reigns were with an under-pressure Rahane. He responded with a glorious century at the MCG that set the tone for India's fightback to clinch the series in dramatic fashion at the Gabba.