Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy | Rahane 2.0 is fearless and eager for more success

Ajinkya Rahane transitions from classical batter to attacking T20 opener, excelling in domestic tournaments and IPL.

For the most part of his career, Ajinkya Rahane made a name for himself as a classical, sedate batter. But in the last couple of years, Rahane has reinvented himself as an attacking T20 opener.

Rahane tops the run charts in this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, smacking 432 runs at an impressive strike rate of nearly 170. He has been in devastating touch in the last three games, with scores of 98, 84 and 95.

The most recent knock, a 56-ball 98 in the semifinal here on Friday, knocked the fight out of Baroda.

The first signs of Rahane’s hitting abilities came in IPL 2023, when he represented Chennai Super Kings. He went at a tournament strike rate of 172.48, as the M.S. Dhoni-led unit claimed the IPL title.

“The message from CSK was clear - play your natural game. When I played for other teams, the message was to bat till 15-16 overs while others would play around me. That was why I was playing at a strike rate of 120 to 130. I am now allowing myself to bat with freedom,” Rahane said here on Friday.

In IPL 2025, Rahane will turn out for Kolkata Knight Riders, which signed him for his base price of ₹1.5 crore.

At 36, Rahane is in the final phase of his playing career. A former India captain and middle-order mainstay, Rahane has represented the nation in 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is.