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Former Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper, Ajinkya Rahane shifted base in the last auctions and will now don the jersey of Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Now, Rahane has revealed how current BCCI President and former DC head coach, Sourav Ganguly convinced him to make a move north from the Jaipur-based franchise.
Rahane will now work under the mentorship of DC head coach Ricky Ponting, who built the team around youngsters.
“I am really excited to play for the Delhi Capitals. I remember when I was in Hampshire last year and was playing country cricket, Sourav Ganguly was covering India’s World Cup game. He asked me whether I wanted to play and told me to take my time,” Ajinkya Rahane told Vikrant Gupta during an Instagram Live chat.
“I took my time and the fact that I would get to play under Ganguly and Ponting I felt would help my growth as a player. But as I said, Rajasthan Royals gave me an opportunity and I am grateful to them,” he added.
Rahane is the third opener in the Capitals’ lineup:
The Mumbai batsman joins Test specialists, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, and Hanuma Vihari at the DC camp.
Rahane starts off as the backup opener for flamboyant stroke makers Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw. Their batting order is further bolstered by the presence of captain Shreyas Iyer and mainstay Rishabh Pant.
“In T20s I have always opened and even in domestic cricket and in the IPL I have opened. So yes opening is my favorite position. But I have always believed in giving my best to the team wherever they need me to be. So even if Delhi Capitals tell me to bat in the middle order and although opening is my preference, I am even ready for that as a cricketer and as a professional athlete,” Rahane concluded.
DC still await for their maiden IPL title. They have taken part in all IPL editions since 2008 and very seldom have qualified for the playoffs, despite a plethora of superstars representing the franchise.
