Mumbai: Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane on Thursday announced that he is retiring from international cricket with immediate effect, bringing an end to a distinguished career that lasted more than a decade. The 38-year-old said he believed the moment had arrived to step aside.
Rahane featured in 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is for India after making his international debut in 2011, and earned a reputation as one of the team’s most dependable batters in all three formats.
He has not appeared for India since the away Test series against the West Indies in 2023.
“Today, I feel the timing is right for me to move on and announce my retirement from international cricket and all formats,” Rahane said in a social media post.
Even after falling off the radar of the national selectors, Rahane stayed active in domestic cricket and captained Mumbai until the 2024-25 season.
Regarded as one of India’s finest overseas performers of his era, Rahane played a major part in several memorable Test wins, including India’s landmark series triumph in Australia in 2020-21. Renowned for his composed leadership and stylish strokeplay, he ends his career with a record built on grit, consistency and valuable contributions in pressure situations.
