Ajinkya Rahane taking a dig at Rohit Sharma? Batter drops huge 'PR Team' statement
Published - 17 Feb 2025, 10:18 AM | Updated - 17 Feb 2025, 11:34 PM
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The 36-year-old India National Cricket Team batter Ajinkya Rahane has made a massive statement, saying that he does not have a PR team to keep him in the news.
Ajinkya Rahane said that people have suggested him to keep a PR team to stay in the headlines, but added that his only PR is the cricket that he plays.
Ajinkya Rahane out of India's scheme of things in Tests
Rahane is currently out of India's scheme of things and he has been grinding hard in domestic cricket ever since being dropped from the Test team.
Ajinkya Rahane has represented India National Cricket Team across all three formats but his best has come in red-ball cricket in which he has played 85 games. Also, he has played 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is for India, with his last ODI outing coming in 2018 and his last T20I appearance coming in 2016.
Despite being out of favor in white-ball cricket, the selection committee showed faith in Rahane in Test cricket, and he played several match-winning knocks for the country.
He was the backbone of the Indian Test team during the golden period and was made the vice-captain as well, thanks to his heroics. However, with the emergence of young batters and the downfall of Ajinkya Rahane, selectors decided to move on from the veteran batter.
After being dropped from the Test team in 2022, he forced the selection committee to give him a recall, but he was unable to make the most of it, and his last game for India in whites came in July 2023 against West Indies.
I have now realised that staying in the news is important - Ajinkya Rahane
In an interview with the Indian Express, Rahane was asked whether he regrets being an introvert. Responding to this, the 36-year-old said that his focus has always been only on cricket, but now he has realized that he needs to speak up and stay in the news to ensure people don't think he is 'out of the circle.'
"I was always shy, now I have opened up. My focus has been to play cricket and go home. Nobody told me that going ahead, certain things will be needed. Today also, sometimes I feel ki bus cricket khelo, ghar jao. Now I am told I need to speak up, talk about my hard work.
"People say you need to be in the news … I don’t have a PR team, my only PR is my cricket. I have now realised that staying in the news is important. Otherwise, people think that I’m out of the circle."
I always think that every action will have its reaction - Ajinkya Rahane
When asked about the cricketers using social media to build a narrative, Rahane said that he never thinks about doing all those things. He said:
"I never thought of it. I always think that every action will have its reaction. My friends said I should be in the media, keep talking to them as the team won under you, but I feel joh hona hai woh hoga."
In the same interaction, Ajinkya Rahane advised the young cricketers to identify their true friends and avoid bad company. He elaborated:
"I don’t like to go into their personal space but as a leader, if I feel I need to tell them anything, I will. I have seen players with talent but wrong choices and wrong friends took them astray. It’s important not to forget where we all come from. Many times when a player is having a great run, you see people with them. Suddenly, if things go wrong, the same people vanish. So it is important to know who your true friends are."
