Ajinkya Rahane has taken a different approach to leadership in order to captain a youthful Mumbai team in the Ranji Trophy. Even if Ajinkya Rahane has struggled with the bat in recent years, the same cannot be said about his leadership and how he has led the Mumbai squad in the Ranji Trophy so far.
Some may argue that his task has been made easier by the team’s youthful hitters and how effectively they have contributed to the team’s winning streak. Rahane hit a superb century against Assam, which boosted his confidence ahead of the key game against Delhi. On day one, he looked well against Delhi but succumbed to a nice ball and was superbly caught at the gully area.
Rahane has showed flashes of becoming a terrific captain for both India and Mumbai in recent years.
“Obviously, Mumbai will play like Mumbai only. But our focus is to play one game at a time. What has happened in the past, that’s gone. Start fresh for every game and take confidence from the previous ones. Also, we respect our opponents and play to our strengths.”
“It’s important to back each and every individual in the team. I always believe that you have to put your arm around a guy who is not doing well or going through a rough patch. It’s important to give them that kind of confidence, give them that freedom, not only on the field but off the field. He can come to me and talk to me about whatever he wants or what’s going on in his personal life. So, I always give that freedom to my players,” he added.
Rahane also said that he has been experimenting with his hitting and wants to bat as he did when he was younger. Rahane may still make the Indian squad if he has a strong first-class season, but others from his Mumbai club are still vying for a spot. Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan have been great up to this point but have not been selected for Team India’s Border Gavaskar Trophy team.
