In the 2021 WTC Final against New Zealand in Southampton, Ajinkya Rahane was India’s highest scorer in the first innings with 49 runs and was a crucial part of the team having led India to a miraculous series win a few months ago in Australia.
A year later at the same time, he found himself out of the Indian Test team after disappointing and dim performances. A year later, at the same time, he had a sensational IPL 2023 season with Chennai Super Kings, which propelled the selectors to recall him back for the one-off Test that is the WTC Final 2023 against Australia in the absence of Shreyas Iyer.
Now, with KL Rahul ruled out as well due to injury, Rahane is likely to slot back in the middle-order for the game at The Oval against Australia.
Here are 2 reasons why Ajinkya Rahane should play in the WTC Final 2023 at number 5:
Experience
There is no substitute for experience. Apart from his good form in the Ranji Trophy 2023 and the IPL 2023, it was Ajinkya’s vast experience, especially of the overseas conditions, and his temperament to stand up away from home that emboldened the selectors and the management to give him a recall to the Test setup for this all-important WTC Final 2023.
He has played 15 Test matches in England, the most he’s played away from India, and he’s notched up a century and 5 fifties in the English conditions.
Out of his 140 Test innings, 102 of them have come at number 5. With KS Bharat likely to be slotted at number 6, India would want the experienced Rahane to come at number 5, and form a solid partnership with any of the experienced batters in Pujara and Kohli.
Turn the momentum with his new-found aggression
Ajinkya Rahane unlocked a new, never-seen-before avatar in the IPL 2023 with CSK, becoming one of the key members of CSK’s title-winning side. He scored 326 runs at a belligerent strike rate of 172. He emerged as a stunning pace-hitter: he struck at an unbelievable strike rate of 232 against pacers!
With Australia coming the WTC Final with 3 pacers and Cameron Green, Rahane might be asked to continue with his attacking, free role at number 5 and take down the Aussie seamers. Especially with Rishabh Pant absent, India will need someone to bring the attack to the Aussie bowlers. Rahane could be the man for India in the WTC Final 2023.
