Ajinkya Rahane never got the credit he deserved, says Sunil Gavaskar

Ajinkya Rahane stepped away from international cricket on July 30, 2026, ending a career that spanned 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is. The 38-year-old's departure marked the close of a chapter that began in 2013 and included one of the most significant captaincy stints in Indian cricket history. Rahane's leadership came during a period when India faced extraordinary challenges, yet his record during that time remained exceptional.

Sunil Gavaskar, the cricket legend, has paid tribute to Rahane's contributions to Indian cricket, drawing parallels with another former captain. Gavaskar highlighted how Rahane's captaincy achievements have been overlooked despite their significance.

"His record as a skipper is exceptional, with four wins out of six and no losses. Like Rahul Dravid, who also had some terrific wins under his captaincy but never got the credit he deserved, so also Rahane’s leadership hardly got the applause that it merited. This is typical of Indian cricket. When the team wins, all praise goes to the individual achievers, be it batters and bowlers, but when the team loses, the captain and the coach get the blame," Gavaskar wrote on his column Mid-Day.

Rahane's character and legacy

Rahane's captaincy came into focus during India's 2020-21 tour of Australia, a series marked by adversity from the outset. India was dismissed for 36 in the opening Test, a collapse that left the team facing an uphill battle. Virat Kohli departed during this period as he and his wife awaited the birth of their first child, while multiple squad members suffered injuries that weakened the available resources.

From this position of weakness, Rahane took charge and guided India to a remarkable turnaround. In the Test immediately following the Adelaide collapse, Rahane scored a century that helped India secure victory. The team ultimately won the series 2-1, a result that included a historic triumph at the Gabba, Australia's fortress ground where India had never won before.

"After the demoralising collapse of 36 all out in the first Test of the 2021 series Down Under, it was Rahane, along with Ravi Shastri, who picked the team from the dumps. The vice-captain took over a ship that was ready to sink and not only sailed it into calmer waters but also gave India an unprecedented first win at Australia’s fortress ‘The Gabba’ and with it the series victory too," Gavaskar wrote.

"In fact, in the final Test of the series, when most of the top players were unavailable due to injury, India pulled off one of its greatest victories in Test cricket. It proved once again, if ever it was needed, that nobody is indispensable in this game. Rahane leaves the game with his head held high and the sincere thanks of cricket lovers for the totally selfless way he played the game. It’s not of many cricketers that it can be said that they did not have a single enemy in the game. There are perhaps less than a dozen to the best of my knowledge and experience. Ajinkya Rahane can take his place there with his typical humility," he concluded.