A player going unsold in the first round of auction and then obtained at his base price only to be named captain of the team is a rarity in the IPL.
So, what Ajinkya Rahane has gone on to achieve — after the Kolkata Knight Riders roped him in at his base price of Rs ₹1.5 crore when he went unsold in the first round in Jeddah — is of course quite uncommon.
That said, Rahane does have the numbers to back him, particularly in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy where he was the top run-getter (469 runs), playing a massive role in Mumbai’s title-winning campaign. In the Ranji Trophy too, Rahane made important contributions, including a hundred in the quarter-final against Haryana at the Eden.
On his part, Rahane is still optimistic about an India comeback, and if he produces impact-making knocks in this edition of the IPL, it may become harder for the national selectors to keep ignoring him. For Rahane, though, what matters is staying in the moment instead of looking too far ahead.
“I have said this many times that my goal is to be in the moment, and try and give my best each and every day. The focus will be on giving more than 100 per cent,” Rahane said at a news conference here on Thursday.
“Besides, I never think about the past or the future. I am focusing on my fitness and my goal is to play as long as possible. But at this moment, I’m just focusing on this particular tournament and I don’t want to think too far ahead.”
The limited opportunities Rahane has had to lead Team India, he surely impressed as a captain. The unprecedented come-from-behind 2-1
triumph in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy four years ago had certainly been the highlight of his leadership.
“This (captaincy) is a challenging role. We won the championship last year. For me, though, it’s always about keeping it simple and having good communication with our players... Giving them that freedom on the field to express themselves, and trying to
understand each other,” Rahane stated.
“Again, it will be a challenge for us to defend the title. But again, that’s why we play cricket. We love this game.”
Rahane, however, was candid enough to admit to having no clue about his chances of being appointed the KKR captain this season. “I was only hearing it from you guys (media) when I was playing domestic cricket,” was his straightforward reply.
“Frankly speaking, my only focus at that point in time was giving my best for the Mumbai team while playing domestic cricket. But again, it’s an honour for me to lead this wonderful franchise. The history is rich, we all know, as many great players have represented this franchise.
“Nonetheless, every season is a challenge for any team. In this particular format, I feel that you’ve got to give your best every day. One single over can turn the game. So for us as a team, it’s important we give our best and not think far too ahead.”
As for his position in the batting order, Rahane is open to any slot. “I’ve always played where the team wanted me to play. And throughout my career, that’s been my thinking,” he said.
“The team always comes first. There are still eight-nine days to go for the first game, so we will talk about it and have a discussion with the coach and mentor as well.
“But wherever the team wants me to bat, I’ll always bat on that particular slot.”
Rahane’s deputy Venkatesh Iyer happens to be one of the Knights’ costliest buys ever at ₹23.75 crore, returning to the squad as the franchise management bid tirelessly for him at the auction. But questions related to Iyer’s price tag should be avoided as the Knights’ vice-captain is quite deserving of such humongous numbers, Rahane believes.
“I want to tell you all that Venkatesh Iyer deserved that price. People are talking about all these things, but he has done well for his franchise on a number of occasions.
So, I think he has deserved that price.
“Also, let’s not ask all these questions in the coming press conferences or whatever...
So, please try and support each and every individual in the team.”
Separate session
Arriving at the Eden a little earlier before the day’s practice began, Sunil Narine, the Knights’ premier spinner, had a separate session with spin bowling coach Carl Crowe. Narine bowled for a good 40-45 minutes under the supervision of Crowe, who’s also a biomechanics expert and had helped the Trinidadian remodel his action.
Like his fireworks with the bat at the top, Narine’s spells with the ball too will be of equal significance for the Knights. Last year, the 36-year-old off-break bowler had picked up 17 scalps from 15 appearances, maintaining an excellent economy rate of 6.69.
