Ajinkya Rahane reveals why he opted out of County Cricket deal with Leicestershire

Ajinkya Rahane made a strong comeback in the Indian test team after being away for nearly a year.

Ajinkya Rahane, the seasoned Indian cricketer known for his grace and consistency on the field, has recently taken a bold decision that has raised many eyebrows in the cricketing world. He has opted to withdraw his name from the county stint with Leicestershire in England. Rahane’s decision is rooted in his desire to focus intensely on enhancing his physical fitness, a crucial aspect of any athlete’s performance, aiming to reach peak performance for Mumbai’s upcoming domestic season.

Ajinkya Rahane, found himself on the sidelines of the Indian Test team for nearly a year. Recently, he got the opportunity to make a comeback in the World Test Championship final and the Test series against the West Indies. His comeback came into play after having a brilliant domestic season for Mumbai scoring about 634 runs with an impressive average of 57.63 and IPL 2023 where he performed aggressively for CSK.

In the World Test Championship final against Australia, Rahane’s bat did the talking. He scored crucial runs, including a remarkable 89 and 46 in the two innings to end up as India’s highest-scorer in the match, which the country lost to Australia by 209 runs. After performing well in the WTC final he was named as the vice-captain of the team for the West-Indies tour, where he managed to score only 11 runs in two matches.

Ajinkya Rahane commitment for domestic season

With India’s jam-packed cricket calendar, Rahane believes that he can gain valuable match practice and exposure in domestic competitions while focusing on his fitness. His decision to participate in Mumbai’s domestic season aligns with his commitment to representing his home team with pride and contributing to their success. While revealing the reason of opting out of county cricket deal with Leicestershire, Rahane mentioned:

“The last 4 months have been gratifying, and with the high intensity cricket that we have played, it is now time to recuperate and recharge my body for the domestic season that lies ahead of us”,

“Representing Mumbai at every stage possible has always been a matter of honor for me, and I will be working diligently on my fitness over the next 2 months to ensure I am at my prime for the impending domestic season, which begins in October. Consequently, I have chosen to opt out of the planned county stint with Leicestershire to prepare for the Indian domestic season,” he added.

Ajinkya Rahane also mentioned that Leicestershire have been in regular touch with him and have been very understanding towards the situation.

“Leicestershire have been in regular touch with me and have been very understanding of the changing situation and I am hopeful of renewing my relationship with them in the future.” he concluded.

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