Last Updated on 1 year by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: India WTC final squad: Ajinkya Rahane included | Ajinkya Rahane back in India Test squad
Former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has made a comeback to the Test team for the World Test Championship (WTC) finale against Australia at the Oval from June 7.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad on Tuesday morning with Rahane’s inclusion headlining the news. The 34-year-old last played a Test in January 2022 against South Africa at Newlands. He has since then been sidelined from the national team.
However, an incredible ongoing run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) helped spark rumours that he could get a look-in the Test squad.
Rahane has been consistent in turning up for Mumbai in the domestic circuit in his time away from international cricket. He led the team in the Ranji Trophy this year. To add to that, Rahane’s terrific pedigree in international cricket with Test centuries in New Zealand, England, Australia and West Indies justifies his selection in the roster.
On Sundary, Rahane slammed 71 runs off 29 deliveries in a power-packed swashbuckling knock against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens. He has struck 209 runs at a strike rate of 199.04 in five IPL games so far but it has been his approach more than the outcome that seems to have played a role in him getting selected in the WTC squad.
Rahane has timed the ball sublimely and played proper cricketing shots to derive boundaries at will in all the games so far. He has carved out gaps at will in powerplay and carried on that intent even when the field is spread out. Complement that with his sound batting technique and experience of having toured England thrice and Rahane had already broken the selection door down at a very appropriate time.
The other two talking points from the WTC squad are the selection of KL Rahul as the possible second-choice wicketkeeper-batsman and Shardul Thakur’s return to the Test setup.
India squad for WTC final:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat
