Ajinkya Rahane backs himself as valuable player in ODIs

08/11/2019

Top order batsman Ajinkya Rahane has batted the idea of having the same set of players in all formats to bring in the element of consistency as was opined by former India captain Sourav Ganguly. Rahane also expressed his disappointed over his non-selection ODIs against the Windies.

After Rahane and Shubhman Gill were not included in India's ODI squad against the Windies, Ganguly had expressed his surprise and stressed on the idea of having a core group of players who get continuous opportunities across formats. While Gill has been one of the frontline performers in India's young brigade, the Test vice-captain Rahane has been backed by Ganguly as the possible answer to India's No. 4 woes.

Rahane has backed this idea and has expressed his eagerness to play in the limited-overs formats too."It's very important to be consistent. It's good to have a core group. Dada had talked about the importance of having a core group across the 3 different formats. I always believed in that. When you have consistency, players tend to become more confident," Rahane was quoted as saying by IndiaToday.

"If you have the same core group, it gives the players confidence and belief that the team is backing them. It's definitely good for the team," Rahane added.

The 31-year-old last played for India in the 50-over format against South Africa in 2018 and his last T20I appearance had come against West Indies in 2016. However, he remains a consistent player in the longest format for India.

"When you're playing ODI cricket and Test cricket consistently for a few months, you can easily get to know how to adapt and take your game forward. It becomes a different ball game when you're not playing for 3-4 months at the international formats.

"I think my approach is different from the current generation players' approach. But, I always focus on evolving with the game. You can be stranded behind. I think even Test matches run rate has become important. So you have to play your shots. I know, if one can play Test cricket well, he can fit into any format.

"If your technique is solid, you can easily adapt to 50-over and T20I cricket. If you're coming from T20I cricket to Tests, it can be a bit challenging when it comes to controlling shots. I have always believed in consistency. Consistency is key. If you're backing a player, you need to be consistent with him," he opined.

Ajinkya Rahane is a part of India's Test squad for the two-Test series that starts on August 22, against the Windies.