Calcutta: It wasn't many days ago when Ajinkya Rahane couldn't even make India's ODI eleven. Now that the regulars in the side have been rested, Rahane finds himself as captain of the squad travelling to Zimbabwe for the limited-overs series.

And Rahane did admit he was surprised on coming to know of the captaincy part. "Captaincy came as a surprise because I wasn't thinking about it ever. I didn't know how to react when I heard the news," Rahane told the bcci.tv.

Excerpts

On whether he is excited about leading the side

I am really excited. Captaincy came as a surprise because I wasn't thinking about captaincy ever. I didn't know how to react when I heard the news. I called my parents and took their blessings and they were really very happy. Once the news slowly began to sink in, I became confident of handling this new responsibility. I am sure this move will take me forward and I will strive to do my best. It is a new challenge and responsibility in my career and I am looking forward to it. I know my work ethics and I will achieve success step by step.

On the challenges ahead in the absence of the regulars

It is a very good side that we have for the Zimbabwe tour. These are guys who have had a good run in the domestic and IPL season. They have got their rewards for their consistent performances. As a captain, I believe it is always important to back your players and give them confidence. I want to lead by example and be positive at all times. It is a challenge to lead a side that doesn't have the services of the seniors, but every international tour is challenging. We take every opposition seriously and Zimbabwe is no different. My motive will be to give the guys the confidence to perform, speak to them and motivate each other throughout the tournament.

On what he has learnt from Rahul Dravid, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli - his captains so far

Playing under MS Dhoni, I have observed how he remains calm on the field. I want to imbibe his calmness. What I would like to learn from Virat is controlled aggression. You can see that quality in his batting and captaincy. And finally, Rahul bhai is someone who likes to keep things really simple on the field, which I got to know while playing under him for the Rajasthan Royals. Having said that, I have my own set of ideas and I know what I have to do on the field. Obviously, I have others to help me out as well and I wouldn't mind running up to them for advice. But I would like to take calmness, controlled aggression and simplicity from the three captains that I just spoke about.

On if he has discussed captaincy with Dravid

When I am with Rahul bhai during the IPL, I always go up to him and talk to him about cricket in general. We would have long chats during practice sessions. I didn't speak to him about captaincy in particular, but we would definitely talk about the planning process. I have observed planning patterns of Dhoni as well and all such instances will help me when I am captaining the side in Zimbabwe.

On the brand of captaincy he would like to incorporate

As a captain, you have to think about a lot of things. You have to assess the situation and conditions and analyse every opposition. I am just looking forward to back my instincts and my style of leadership. Every cricketer has his own style of playing the game and captaining the side. I am sure that my little experiences as captain at the junior level will help me there. My main motive will be to give confidence to all the players in the side and back them.

On his current form and the areas that need improvement

I am in good form at the moment and have been batting well. I am looking for consistency in the ODI format and I am learning from my mistakes. I try to rectify my mistakes in each and every practice session and every time I walk out to bat, I try not to repeat them. It is a constant effort to learn and improve your game irrespective of the format. I know my batting well and have been learning about my skills from my seniors too. It is all about how you think in every format. I feel in Tests and T20s, my mindset has been really great.

On whether talks about his poor form bother him

One is entitled to one's own opinion and my aim is to keep looking after my game and myself. If I do such things well, I know this game will reward me. It is the process that matters to me and not the results.