Three more days. Members of the Delhi Capitals (DC) squad are counting the days before they can get down to training at the ground. The latest addition to their team, the ever dependable Ajinkya Rahane who moved from Rajasthan Royals after seven seasons with them, echoed the players’ keenness to get out on to the field and play cricket after the five-month hiatus due to COVID-19.
Rahane was the highest run scorer for the Royals, scoring 2,810 runs in 100 matches. He was persuaded by former India skipper Sourav Ganguly to move up north and give DC the much-needed solidity and experience in the batting line-up.
The Mumbaikar, used to being moved up and down the order as per the desires of the captains he played under, is, however, yet to get an idea about his role in his new team. In his first virtual interaction with the media from the team base in Dubai, Rahane said he is yet to have a chat with the team management and coaches. "We are all still in quarantine and staying inside our respective rooms and haven’t really talked to anyone about it yet. Let's wait and see what role I will play. I am always open to what the team wants me to do. I have opened earlier and enjoyed it in the T20 format. But it’s completely up to the team."
With Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw almost certain to take up the opening slots, it remains to be seen what DC head coach Ricky Ponting, who arrived in Dubai on Thursday morning, and young skipper Shreyas Iyer have in mind for Rahane.
Rahane said he is even open to playing as a middle-order batsman or a finisher, if that’s what the team wants. "For sure, if they give me that option (that of a finisher), I will definitely take it. As a cricketer, it is a new opportunity for me. It’s different playing in the middle-order; different skills are needed there. If you are playing cricket after a break of 5-6 months, and when you get to know your role, you need at least 5-6 sessions (in the nets) to do the work, get into the mindset and play accordingly. The conditions also are an important factor."
Rishabh Pant, the explosive Indian wicketkeeper batsman is still developing as a finisher and is yet to find the consistency in taking the game over the line for his team and it appears the DC management may look for a more experienced, calm, mature batsman to do the job in the meantime.
Rahane has two IPL hundreds to his credit, the last one (105*) incidentally coming against Delhi Capitals last season. Talking about scoring big in the T20 format, Rahane said, "A lot depends on the conditions and where we are playing. We know the conditions at home. It’s all about being fearless, backing yourself, having the self-belief and taking the team till the end. You need to break it into small targets. It’s all about playing with freedom."
Rahane said the key to doing well in this IPL, amid the prevailing situation, was for every player to be disciplined and make the most of being in the bio-bubble and only focus on cricket. "You cannot get a better situation than this. As a cricketer, you have to be disciplined, go to the ground, and come back. There will be no distractions for any cricketer. For any cricketer, it can’t get better than this. It’s the best opportunity for everyone to focus on what one wants to achieve as a player."
Rahane said it would feel different playing IPL without thousands of fans in a stadium. But he understands it is for the safety of fans and everyone involved. "I think, instead, everyone should think of all the corona warriors - the police, medical personnel, municipal staff - who have worked to keep everyone safe during the lockdown and play for them."
Rahane, who no longer figures in Team India’s plans for white-ball cricket, believes that his shorter-format game is good enough for selectors and team management to consider him again. The Indian team sorely missed an experienced number four batsman during the 2019 ICC World Cup in England. It was ironical that Rahane, who has been a seasoned top-order player, was in England playing county cricket then but was ignored. Pant got the nod instead ahead of him, after Vijay Shankar – the designated number four for Team India – got injured. "It’s gone now. I can’t think about it all the time. I was really confident (about the call) as I was playing in England at that time. I have the self-belief and I am sure I can make a comeback to ODI cricket once again.”
