Senior India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane made a funny remark about his ordinary form in the Ranji Trophy 2024 after he marched Mumbai to their 42nd title.
At the Wankhede stadium on Thursday, Mumbai won their 42nd Ranji Trophy title, defeating Vidarbha in the final by 169 runs.
Ajinkya Rahane, the 35-year-old India-discarded player, scored only 214 runs in 8 matches at an average of merely 17. Eight other players in the Mumbai squad scored more runs than Rahane this season. His best, though, came in the final, in Mumbai’s second innings, a score of 73 which was crucial as Mumbai set Vidarbha a target in excess of 500.
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Ajinkya Rahane trolled himself for his poor form this season in the Ranji Trophy.
He said, “Ups and downs as a part of the game, I never think about myself, it is always team first. I’m the happiest that we are champions despite me being the lowest run-scorer for the team this year. This is a phase every player goes through, you need to keep working hard.”
The Mumbai captain added, “Tonight, we celebrate. We enjoy the win because this has been a long, hard season. Whenever we get back in June, we’ll plan for the next season. Want to credit the Mumbai support staff for their efforts in the backend throughout the season.
“This moment is really special for us. Last year, we didn’t qualify by 1 run, which really hurt us. We knew we had the talent and individuals, but what was important was creating the right culture and attitude. Would like to thank MCA for their support as well.”
Ajinkya Rahane makes a grand gesture for the retiring Dhawal Kulkarni
The veteran Mumbai pacer Dhawal Kulkarni played his last red-ball game. After Vidarbha had lost 9 wickets, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane gave the ball to Kulkarni for the pacer to have his dream finish, which he did by dismissing Umesh Yadav as the last scalp.
Kulkarni praised Rahane for his grand gesture, saying, “It was very good gesture. I wasn’t expecting it because Tushar [Deshpande] had picked up two wickets just before that. But hats off to him [Rahane]. He told me, ‘Dhawal, you have led for so many years. Lead once again and finish the job.'”
Rahane’s next assignment is the IPL 2024 season, where he will turn up in the yellow of CSK.
