New Delhi, July 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane on Thursday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing the curtains down on an illustrious career that spanned more than two decades and included memorable performances across international cricket, domestic competitions and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Rahane, who represented India in 85 Tests, 90 One-Day Internationals and 20 T20 Internationals, made the announcement through a heartfelt video shared on social media with the message: “Cap 278 signing off. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. Forever grateful.”
Explaining his decision, Rahane said every journey has its beginning and end, adding that he believed the time was right to move on. Recalling his early days travelling from Dombivli to pursue his cricketing dream, he said he had given everything to the game and always considered representing India the greatest honour of his career.
Making his international debut during India’s tour of England in 2011, Rahane went on to establish himself as one of the country’s most dependable batters. In Test cricket, he scored 5,077 runs in 85 matches, including 12 centuries and 26 half-centuries. He also amassed 2,962 runs in ODIs.
One of the defining moments of his career came in 2020-21 when he captained India to a historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in Australia after taking over the leadership during the series. His final international appearance came during India’s Test tour of the West Indies in 2023.
Reflecting on his journey, Rahane said he always placed the team and the country ahead of personal milestones and expressed pride in witnessing the tremendous growth of Indian cricket over the past 20 years. He added that while his playing career had ended, his association with the sport would continue through mentoring and supporting the next generation of cricketers.
Rahane also enjoyed a long IPL career, featuring in 212 matches for six franchises, including Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. He lifted his maiden IPL title with Chennai Super Kings in 2023 before returning to Kolkata Knight Riders for a second stint.
Concluding his farewell message, Rahane acknowledged that cricket had taught him to embrace both success and failure, saying the greatest reward of his career had been the affection and support of cricket fans.
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