Ajinkya Rahane played down his lack of big runs in the Ranji Trophy season as he took great pride in Mumbai going on to win their 42nd Ranji Trophy title. The captain said he has always believed in the team-first approach after having led the team to their first title in 8 years. Mumbai defeated Vidarbha by 169 runs on Day 5 of the final of the premier domestic red-ball tournament.
Rahane scored just 218 runs in 8 matches in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 season. 73 of them came in the big final when the captain stitched a 130-run stand with young Musheer Khan after Mumbai were reduced to 34 for 3 in their second innings. While Musheer went on to hit a hundred, Rahane missed out on a well-deserved three-figure score.
Rahane might not have scored big, but the senior campaigner used all his experience to guide Mumbai, who fought back from behind on multiple occasions throughout the season. Rahane’s presence in the dressing room was a big boost to the likes of young Musheer, who credited the captain’s influence on his form in the 2023-24 season.
“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,” Rahane said after lifting the Ranji Trophy on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
