'Full credit to the selectors for bringing Rahane back' - MSK Prasad delighted with Ajinkya Rahane's inclusion in WTC final squad

The BCCI selection committee announced the squad for the World Test Championship final 2023 on Tuesday, April 25. Veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane has made a comeback to the Indian Test team after being dropped from the unit earlier in March 2023. The 34-year-old has been rewarded for good returns with the bat in Ranji Trophy 2022-23 and the ongoing IPL 2023.

Former BCCI Chief Selector MSK Prasad expressed his happiness over Rahane’s selection and credited the selectors for picking him amid the uncertainty in the Indian middle order in the absence of Shreyas Iyer. Iyer went through surgery for his recurring back injury and hence, has been ruled out of the final.

“It’s a fair team, it’s the right call. Ajinkya with so much of uncertainty in the middle-order, I think they (selectors) were absolutely right. I am very, very happy for him. He has always been a wonderful performer for India in the away series. And I think he fits the bill perfectly. Full credit to the selectors for bringing him back,” Prasad was quoted as saying by India Today.

Prasad further praised Rahane for his attitude and compared him with a monk, saying that he remains neutral over his selection and is neither too excited nor too disturbed.

“Basically, his attitude is like a monk’s. He is never disturbed when he is not selected. He is not over-excited when he is selected. He is that kind of a guy. His mood doesn’t swing up and down, just like that. He is a very mature person," he added.

In the ongoing IPL 2023, Rahane has been in sublime form, batting with complete freedom. He has scored 209 runs from five innings at an average of 52.25 and a strike rate of 199.04 with two fifties to his name. In the Ranji Trophy 2022-23, he was the highest run scorer for Mumbai with 634 runs from 11 innings at an average of 57.63 with two hundreds and one fifty to his name.

India and Australia to face off in WTC final from June 7

India will be up against Australia in the final of the WTC scheduled to be played from June 7 at the Oval in London. Apart from Rahane, Shardul Thakur, who scored two half-centuries and picked three wickets in India’s win over England at the Oval in 2021, has also been brought into the team.

Wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan, who was picked in the squad for the India vs Australia Test series played in February-March 2023, has been dropped from the team, making KL Rahul the second wicketkeeping option in the squad.