BCCI took MS Dhoni's advice before selecting Ajinkya Rahane for ICC WTC final - Reports

Ajinkya Rahane's IPL performance has revitalized his international cricket career.

The World Test Championship final is scheduled to begin at The Oval on 7th June. India will take on Australia in the WTC Final. Indian team management picked a 15-member squad for the Championship final. In a surprise selection, BCCI picked Ajinkya Rahane as Shreyas Iyer’s replacement. Ajinkya Rahane has been awarded for his good work in the IPL 2023 and in the Indian domestic circuit last season. Rahane is batting with a strike rate of almost 200 in the IPL this season. Ajinkya Rahane is playing under MS Dhoni for Chennai Super Kings. Now as per TOI reports, selectors have taken MS Dhoni’s consultation before picking up Ajinkya Rahane in the team.

Selectors took MS Dhoni's input for WTC Final team

There were few names in consideration before the Indian team selection. Sarfaraz Khan, Ishan Kishan, Hanuma Vihari, and Ruturaj Gaikwad were the contenders for the place in the Indian test team. Selectors before taking a final call took inputs from former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni, according to TOI reports. This tells that MS Dhoni is still the key figure in Indian cricket. Ajinkya Rahane was dropped from the Indian team due to his poor show with the bat after South Africa tour in 2022. Rahane’s selection in the playing eleven almost looks certain because of his experience of playing in England. He had played 15 Tests on English soil.

In the IPL 2023, Ajinkya Rahane has played 5 games so far and had scored 209 runs with a strike rate of 199.03. Unlike Rahane, his batting has revitalized his international career. MS Dhoni’s guidance as a leader and mentor has definitely proved beneficial for Rahane’s game. Rahane in the Ranji trophy has also done well with the bat and scored 634 runs in 7 First-class games. Team India have gone with an experienced middle order for the big game at The Oval.