Ajinkya Rahane breaks silence after international retirement, thanks fans for overwhelming love

NEW DELHI: Days after announcing his retirement from international cricket, former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has broken his silence with an emotional message for fans, admitting he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love that followed one of the biggest decisions of his career. The 38-year-old, who called time on an international journey spanning more than a decade, thanked supporters from across the cricketing world after receiving countless messages following his retirement announcement. "A heartfelt thank you to everyone for your messages, wishes, and support. I'm overwhelmed by the love and will always cherish it," Rahane posted on social media.

The message came after tributes poured in from some of the biggest names in world cricket, celebrating a career defined by quiet leadership, resilience and one of India's greatest overseas Test triumphs.

Cricket fraternity salutes Rahane's remarkable career

Among the many to pay tribute was former India captain Virat Kohli, who described Rahane as his favourite batting partner in Test cricket. "Jinks, congratulations on a great career, buddy. You've done wonders for Indian cricket, and you can be very proud of your journey. The safest pair of hands in the slips and my favourite Test batting partner. Wishing you well always. God bless," Kohli wrote. The pair shared one of India's most successful middle-order partnerships, stitching together 10 century stands and 19 fifty-plus partnerships in Tests. Their highest partnership came against New Zealand in Indore, where Kohli scored 211 and Rahane registered a career-best 188 in a mammoth 365-run stand. Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar also reflected on Rahane's career, recalling the first time they batted together for Mumbai in domestic cricket. "Congratulations on a remarkable career. The first time we batted together for Mumbai, I saw someone who never chased moments. They came to you because you were willing to do the hard yards for the team. That same quality defined your finest hour in Australia," Tendulkar wrote. "You showed that composure isn't the opposite of aggression. It is often what gives a team the confidence to be fearless. Congratulations on a wonderful career! Wishing you and your family all the very best."

A career built on composure and selflessness

Rahane announced his retirement from all international formats after representing India in 85 Tests, 90 One-Day Internationals and 20 T20Is between 2011 and 2023. While his numbers — 5,077 Test runs, 2,962 ODI runs and 375 T20I runs — underline his consistency, his greatest contribution came during India's unforgettable 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in Australia. Stepping in as captain after Virat Kohli returned home following the Adelaide Test, Rahane led an injury-ravaged Indian side to a historic 2-1 series victory. His magnificent century in Melbourne sparked one of the greatest comebacks in Test history before India completed the famous triumph at the Gabba.

Former opener Virender Sehwag hailed Rahane as "one of the most underrated cricketers" and praised him for leading India to "its greatest ever overseas Test series win." Cheteshwar Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan, PV Sindhu, Irfan Pathan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Mumbai Cricket Association also paid tribute, highlighting Rahane's humility, calmness and unwavering commitment to the team.