We will not take Afghanistan lightly, says stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane

A new look Indian senior team is scheduled to go up against a young and vibrant Afghanistan side at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore under the leadership of Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane, who has been the vice-captain for quite a while now, was adamant that the Indian will not take things for granted against Rashid Khan & Co.

Rahane revealed that the boys in blue will head into the Test match with the same focus and attitude as any other game they have played before. 

"As a player, every Test match is important. We will not take them (Afghanistan) lightly as we know that the team comprises of good players such as Rashid Khan, who has performed brilliantly in the IPL for the past two years. The team has plenty of talent. So our focus is on the Test match, be it any opponent, is to put up a good performance and to back the positives and strengths rather than focussing on the opponents," Rahane said in an interview with IndiaTV.

Afghanistan have shown some serious promise in the form of their world-class spinners, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and the prolific Rashid Khan, who impressed everyone in this year’s IPL. Rashid is the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world but must be at his best if he aimed to do well in the upcoming Test and Rahane and boys.

30-year old Rahane also spoke about India’s tour of England in July which will be a crucial Test for Kohli & Co. on foreign soil. The right-handed opener opined that India are more than up to the task of doing well in England as he asked his teammates to seize the opportunities at hand and cement their spot in the team.

"Our priority is to do better this time than the last, especially as a team we should play well. It is a good opportunity for us to go and perform well and our main aim is to do well personally and register a win for the country," Rahane added.