Pranav will soon play with us: Rahane

Mumbai: India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane – who started his career swinging the bat in the bylanes of Dombivli and Kalyan – believes Pranav Dhanawade, who smashed an unbeaten 1,009 in the HT Bhandari Cup inter- school tournament, will soon don the blue jersey.

Pranav, son of an auto rickshaw driver in Kalyan, achieved the feat in 327 deliveries with 129 fours and 59 sixes for KC Gandhi School against Arya Gurukul School.

“As a Mumbaikar, I want to congratulate Pranav. I am proud of him. I am sure he will do better and then come and play with us,” said Rahane, few hours before flying to Australia for an ODI and T20 series.

“Batting for one-and-a half days is no joke, one requires immense concentration and focus; pronouncing 1,009 itself takes so much time, imagine scoring them,” added the 27-year-old.

Rahane dismissed all criticism and confusion regarding the nature of wicket, the quality of the tournament and opponents.

“Listen, the number in question (1,009) is the amount of runs one can score in a season. This 15-year-old kid hit the same in an innings. A record is a record,” he said.

The batsman stressed the importance of concentration in a child’s mind. “When we are in school, our concentration fluctuates, he held on to it which needs to be maintained. I will be happy if he plays with us,” added Rahane.

Read: ‘Another Sachin in the making?’ Social media salutes Pranav Dhanawade

Captain Cool on wonder kid

“I would have been bored had I had to bat for so long,” said Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s limited-over skipper.

The 34-year-old, who called time on his Test career in 2014, said scoring that many runs is no hoax. “It is a serious business. Now there will be comparisons. Pranav has to compete with other individuals of his age but it is also the right time for his coaches, parents to back him.”

“This should be taken as the first step. He must be a special kid,” said Dhoni, who himself rose to prominence during his initial days for his ability to clear the ground with ease.

“The fact that he is hitting the sixes means he is calculating his batting,” added Dhoni.

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