Ajinkya Rahane opens up about World Cup snub and future plans

India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane said that his exclusion from the ICC World Cup 2019 squad came as a disappointment for him but he believes that it is important to move on. Rahane was the No. 4 batsman for India in the 2015 edition of the tournament and with a lot of controversy surrounding that same batting position, a lot of experts batted for his inclusion in the side. “Personally, everyone dreams to be part of World Cup squad. Mine was also the same. You tend to get disappointed when you don’t make the World Cup team but it’s important to move on,” Ajinkya Rahane said in an interview with India Today.

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Rahane made his county debut, becoming the first Indian player to play Hampshire and he started his stint with a brilliant hundred on debut. “When I played 2 months in county cricket, I learnt a lot. Yes, it was a dream to be part of the World Cup team. But, I am focussing on taking everything on a positive note and moving on. I feel I am starting my preparations for the next World Cup from now itself,” Rahane said.

Rahane is not a regular when it comes to the shorter formats of the game but he was included in the squad for the two Test matches against West Indies. The batsman said that he would like to use that opportunity to make people notice his game. “After the World Cup also, there is life, there are challenges. There is World Test Championships. I am focussed on contributing to the team and taking the team forward.”

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“Whenever an opportunity comes to play ODI and T20I cricket, I will work hard and make it count. I am actually lucky that people are noticing that I am good enough to play the limited-overs formats as well, Rahane added.