“My favourite Test batting partner" - Virat Kohli finally reacts on Ajinkya Rahane’s retirement
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Ajinkya Rahane & Virat Kohli were key behind India’s success in Test format.
On July 30, 2026, Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket and all formats of the game via an emotional video message.
Having scored 5077 runs in 85 Test matches, and amassing more than 14000 runs in first-class cricket, Rahane is a highly regarded player in the red-ball circuit. He has captained India in 6 Tests, and has never recorded a loss.
The era of Indian Test cricket, under the captaincy of Virat Kohli and coaching of Ravi Shastri, is often regarded as a ‘golden era’. Ajinkya Rahane was a prime contributor to that phase. His former teammate, Virat Kohli, congratulated him on his glorious career.
Here’s how Virat Kohli reacted to Ajinkya Rahane’s retirement?
Virat Kohli posted a congratulatory message for his former teammate ‘Jinks‘, calling him his favourite Test batting partner. Virat also regarded Rahane as the safest pair of hands in the slips.
He tweeted:
“Jinks, congratulations on a great career, buddy. You’ve done wonders for Indian cricket, and you can be very proud of your journey. The safest pair of hands in the slips and my favourite Test batting partner. Wishing you well always. God bless.”
The duo has played 78 Tests together. While Rahane has played a total of 85 Tests in his career, he has essentially spent most of his Test stint alongside Virat. He was his deputy for much of the span.
Being deemed as the safest pair of hands at the slip, Rahane had a catching efficiency of 68.6% off spin bowlers in Tests. This is the highest, with 70/102 catches being successfully picked.
He played his last Test in 2023, against West Indies, where the result was a draw, but India won the series 1-0. He has hit 12 tons and 26 half-centuries in his Test career. As a captain, his most significant win was the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 victory with a young troop.
Rahane top-scored for India in the ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final, where his numbers 89 and 46 in the two innings were crucial for the team. However, India lost the Final to Australia.
Apart from Test cricket and the orthodox batting, Ajinkya has fine stats in T20s as well. He has amassed more than 5300 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL), representing six franchises. He scored more than 400 runs in four editions, while in 2023, he had his best strike-rate of 172, navigating CSK’s middle order with his cameos.
When did Ajinkya Rahane retire from international cricket?
Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from all formats on July 30.
Who is Virat Kohli’s favourite Test batting partner?
Ajinkya Rahane is Virat Kohli’s favourite Test batting partner.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.