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Ajinkya Rahane
India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has disclosed Rahul Dravid's advice that motivated him early in his cricketing career. He had scored lots of runs in domestic cricket before making it to the national squad in 2011. Ahead of the WTC final, Ajinkya Rahane remembered his grind in domestic cricket before receiving an India call-up. Rahane also recalled an essential piece of advice that he got from the former Indian batsman Rahul Dravid that inspired him.
Ajinkya Rahane is India's leading run-getter in the World Test Championship
After making his white-ball debut, Rahane sat on the bench for almost a year before receiving the maiden Test cap. Not getting enough appreciation and acknowledgment in the domestic circuit can disturb any young player. However, Rahane was not affected much as he received a piece of advice from former Indian captain Rahul Dravid that kept him motivated throughout. The 33-year-old disclosed that during the 2008-09 Duleep Trophy, Rahul Dravid noticed him and called him up for a brief interaction. Rahul Dravid praised Rahane for his brilliant performance with the bat. However, the veteran also advised the batsman to just focus on his game and keep performing the same way. Rahul Dravid told Rahane to not run after the Indian call-up.
Ajinkya Rahane was part of the ODI and T20I teams for the England tour in 2011. He became the first India batsman to score a half-century on his T20 debut. The 33-year-old had scored 40 runs off 44 deliveries in the opening ODI. Considering Rahane was an irregular member of the white-ball teams, he missed the ICC Champions Trophy back in 2013. After that, however, he got a chance and was a part of the ICC 2015 World Cup squad.
Rahane made his Test debut in the year 2013 and has been a key member of the red-ball team since then. He is presently in England with the rest of the team, preparing for the final of the World Test Championship. India will first take on New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in Southampton on June 18. After the WTC, they will face England in a five-match Test series, starting August 4. With 1,095 runs at 43.80, Ajinkya Rahane is India's leading run-getter in the World Test Championship.