Ajinkya Rahane joins a new team after being ignored by Indian selectors

India batter Ajinkya Rahane will be playing for Leicestershire in the second half of the ongoing County Championship. The Indian Test specialist will be part of the team for the One-Day Cup campaign as well as five County matches. 

Ajinkya Rahane will be joining Leicestershire for the second time. The India batter signed the deal with the County team last year but couldn't fulfill his duties. This was because he was recalled to the Indian team for the ICC World Test Championship Final 2023. 

Ajinkya Rahane had a decent outing with the bat for India in the World Test Championship Final 2023 and thanks to that he was then named in the team for the West Indies tour. The batter played two games there and after that, he was dropped from the Indian team. 

Ajinkya Rahane since then hasn't featured for India in any of the games. But he has been a regular in the domestic setup. The batter has scored more than 13,000 runs in first-class cricket, at an average of 45.76, and another 6475 at 39.72 in List A, and his experience will be handy for Leicestershire. 

Leicestershire's director of cricket Claude Henderson talked about the signing of Ajinkya Rahane and said that they are thrilled to welcome the batter. He highlighted how the batter's experience will be handy for the team and added that the young players can learn from him. He added: 

"We are thrilled to welcome someone of Ajinkya's quality to Leicestershire. It was unfortunate that Ajinkya's schedule didn't quite work with ours last year, but it's a massive boost to have secured his services for the business end of this season. 

"He holds immense experience and vital leadership qualities, which will be hugely beneficial to the team alongside his run-scoring ability. Ajinkya's arrival also presents a fantastic opportunity for our batters to learn from one of the game's best."

I'm hoping to enjoy my cricket and contribute to more success for the club this season - Ajinkya Rahane 

Ajinkya Rahane also opened up about playing for Leicestershire. He talked about his camaraderie with management and stated that he is keen to contribute to the team's success. He explained: 

"I'm really excited to have another opportunity to come to Leicestershire. I've built a strong rapport with Claude and [head coach] Alfonso [Thomas], and I'm looking forward to playing for the club this summer. 

"I followed the team's results last year and was very impressed with what I saw. I'm hoping to enjoy my cricket and contribute to more success for the club this season." 

Ajinkya Rahane will be joining Leicestershire in mid-July. With the kind of player that he has been for India, he will be a valuable asset for the team in an entire season. His presence will be a boost for the team and will fill up the void left by Wiaan Mulder. The South African player is likely to leave the season mid-way due to international commitments.