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Ajinkya Rahane immediately became one of the hot prospects for various franchise leagues across the globe as soon as he announced his retirement from the Indian National Cricket Team.
Because of BCCI rules, active Indian cricketers are not eligible to take part in any overseas league. As Rahane is no longer an active national team cricketer, he is free to join where he finds opportunities ahead in his career.
Ajinkya Rahane is set to play in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL)
Chris Morris, the former South Africa all-rounder who played with Ajinkya Rahane in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said that the SA20 franchises should go for the experienced Indian batter in the upcoming players' auction.
Morris' suggestion to the SA20 teams came after Ajinkya Rahane's deal with the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) team Amsterdam Flames. Only a few days after announcing his retirement, the Indian batter confirmed himself to play in the inaugural season of ETPL, which will mark a fresh chapter of his cricketing career.
Why does Chris Morris ask SA20 franchises to sign Ajinkya Rahane?
Through the ETPL deal, Rahane made it clear that he will keep himself available for overseas opportunities. Chris Morris, who was once in the headlines for fetching Rs 16.25 crore during the IPL 2021 season from the Rajasthan Royals, believes that if Rahane joins any of the SA20 franchises, it will be helpful in the overall growth of the tournament, as the former India captain is a pure-class player, as well as a human being.
"He is world-class, and he is a world-class human being. When you've got someone like that, I think he would be a great addition. Like the impact Dinesh Karthik had when he joined Paarl Royals (Season 3), Jinks is very much the same person that he was when he captained in the IPL. He has played for India for so many years. That experience is really crucial. Just the way he plays. If he comes, it would be a great addition," Chris Morris said in an interaction facilitated by SA20 ahead of the Season 5 Auction.
Ajinkya Rahane possesses a decent T20 track record
Despite Kolkata Knight Riders’ collective performance as a team not being enough to claim a spot in the play-offs of the IPL 2026 season, Ajinkya Rahane played some promising knocks on his individual brilliance.
In the previous season of the Indian Premier League, the top-order batter scored 335 runs in 14 matches and as many innings for a batting average of 25.76 and an average strike rate of 135.08, including a couple of half-centuries.
His overall T20 stats are also pretty promising as he accumulated 7968 runs in 308 matches and 291 innings, maintaining an average of 30.29 and a strike rate of 126.77.
During his Twenty20 career, the batter, who is mostly known for his technical batting abilities and skills, has secured a pair of centuries and 56 half-centuries. Through the European T20 Premier League, he will get the opportunity to improve his tally again.
