IPL 8: ‘Spent time with wife during break, now focus is on Rajasthan Royals’
Mumbai: When Ajinkya Rahane started his Rajasthan Royals innings, he wasn’t a brand. He was just another good cricketer from the maidans of Mumbai. But in 2015, he is a World Cup semifinalist, a right-hander who never hesitated to play a gutsy hook off Mitchell Johnson Down Under. Donning the RR jersey for the fourth year, he is expected to turn heads.
He doesn’t believe in taking long breaks in between tournaments and seemed content with the seven-day break between the ICC World Cup and Indian Premier League (IPL).
IPL 8: Rajasthan Royals keen to make noise with World Cup winners
“I am happy with the little break I got. I was with my family. I got married recently, so spent time with my wife. Training started only a day back and now, the focus is on Rajasthan Royals,” said Rahane, during the press conference at the Brabourne Stadium, Cricket Club of India (CCI) here on Monday.
With CCI being one of the home turfs for RR, the Mumbaikar is expected to exploit the conditions better than many.
“Having played domestic cricket, Ranji Trophy, I am used to CCI but in any tournament, one starts from zero,” added Rahane, who has 1655 runs from 67 matches including a ton, in the IPL.
Talking about sudden shift of the format from 50 overs to 20 overs, he pointed: “It is not difficult since we have been playing all formats but it is challenging.”
By his recent good run, he even entered into the good books of captain Shane Watson who could not stop praising the batsman.
Rahane, on the other hand, extolled RR teammate Steve Smith.
“I have learnt a lot from Smith’s batting in the Test series and the World Cup. He has been phenomenal,” said Rahane who – with 13 half centuries and maintaining an average of 30.64 – is one of the trump cards for Royals.
