Entry of Ajinkya Rahane in WTC squad
For the World Test Championship final matchup against Australia, which will be contested at the Oval starting on June 7, Ajinkya Rahane has been brought back to India's Test team. In a meeting on Monday night, the BCCI's senior selection committee opted to recall Rahane since Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Rajat Patidar are sidelined with injury.
After India's tour of South Africa in 2021/22, Rahane, who had a rough patch and hadn't scored a century since the Boxing Day Test against Australia in December 2020, was cut from the squad. Rahane has only reached the fifty-mark three times since that game-winning strike in Melbourne that kick-started India's turnaround in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Despite showing signs of regaining his form during the Tests in South Africa, he was later dropped as India lost a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
A hamstring injury he sustained during the IPL last year ended Rahane's pursuit of many possibilities in England. Rahane also struck three centuries, including a double century, in the Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy during the domestic season that followed.
Rahane has been one of the standout players in the current IPL, demonstrating that he is prepared to adapt his style of play. More importantly, he has appeared to be in great touch, which has drawn the attention of the selectors and the support of the team management. The team management believes Rahane's presence in the middle-order would be necessary against Australia as they seek their first ICC crown since 2013 because Shreyas and Pant are out.
