Table of Contents
Ajinkya Rahane has revealed his all-time Indian Test XI, but he surprisingly left out his former captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Ajinkya Rahane picked some of India's biggest cricket legends for his Test dream team, including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni.
India’s former Test vice-captain even included himself in his all-time Indian Test XI but overlooked one of the best batters in the format, Kohli, who also left a massive impact as a captain as well. Earlier, KL Rahul suffers bizarre hit-wicket dismissal after first-innings duck against New Zealand A.
Ajinkya Rahane leaves Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma out of all-time India Test XI
Rahane was asked to select a team featuring players he had played with in international or domestic cricket. The former Indian batter made MS Dhoni his captain and wicketkeeper, as he picked a strong combination of batters, spin bowlers and fast bowlers.
However, Rahane’s decision to leave out two of India's biggest modern-day legends, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma left many fans stunned. He first picked Dhoni as the captain and wicketkeeper of his all-time Indian Test XI. He explained that Dhoni deserved the role because the former India captain was his first skipper in international cricket.
The former right-hander then selected Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan as his opening pair. Both batters shared the dressing room with Rahane during their international careers. As expected, Rahul Dravid got the crucial No. 3 spot, while legendary Sachin Tendulkar was selected at No. 4.
Ajinkya Rahane picks himself ahead of Virat Kohli in his dream team
Interestingly, Rahane placed himself at No. 5, while Dhoni was selected at No. 6 to strengthen the middle order of his all-time Indian Test XI. The former India vice-captain also selected two of India's finest spin-bowling all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, in his team.
Rahane’s pace attack featured Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma, giving the team a mix of swing, speed and experience. Amid this, Better than Virat Kohli? Tilak Varma emerges as new T20 chasemaster with 26 wins in 26 chases.
The biggest surprise in Rahane's selection was the absence of Kohli, as he has enjoyed a successful Test career with close to 10000 runs in the longest format of the game.
Ajinkya Rahane's all-time Indian Test XI:
Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni (C/WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, and Ishant Sharma.
If Ajinkya Rahane had to pick his all-time Indian Test XI, who would make the cut? 👀 Find out if your favourites feature in his lineup! Ajab Sawaal Ghazab Jawaab is LIVE NOW on Sony LIV and our YouTube channel. Watch the HERO VIDA India Tour of New Zealand, 3rd T201 on 27th Oct, 11:30 AM onwards, LIVE on Sony Sports Network TV channels, Sony LIV & Sony Vizha. #SonySportsNetwork #SonyLIV #SonyVizha #NZvIND
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) October 24, 2026
Ajinkya Rahane's emotional retirement in July
Rahane announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in July earlier this year through an emotional video on social media. Reflecting on the importance of knowing when to move forward, he said the time had come to bring his playing career to an end.
The right-handed batter had last played Test cricket for India during the two-match Test series against the West Indies in 2023. He was subsequently dropped from the Test team, and he scored only 8 runs in his final international outings.
Rahane finished his Test career with 5,077 runs in 85 matches at an average of 38.46. He also played 90 ODIs for India, scoring 2,962 runs, and 375 runs in 20 T20Is.
