3 min readAug 9, 2026 05:39 PM IST
Ranked eighth on the all-time run-scorers’ leaderboard, with 5367 runs at 30.15 and 125.60, Ajinkya Rahane has been among the Indian Premier League’s more enduring batters. He has played 212 matches in this competition, donning six jerseys across 19 seasons — from the inaugural 2008 to the latest 2026. And yet, it took him 16 years to win his maiden title, courtesy of a reinvention.
For a decade and a half, Rahane had perfected the art of being an anchor. Then, at 35, he discovered a version of himself that had largely remained unexplored, when Chennai Super Kings signed him for a base price of Rs 50 lakh. He scored 326 runs for the team that was then led by MS Dhoni. But the number that mattered most was his strike rate — 172.48. The previous season, it had been 103.90. In fact, before 2023, Rahane had never struck at 140 or more in an IPL season.
Reflecting on the first 15 seasons during The Indian Express’ Idea Exchange, Rahane says: “Before 2023, I think from 2019, when I left Rajasthan Royals then moved to Delhi Capitals and then KKR for a year, I think I hardly played. As a player, you always need that confidence. You need the surety to play with freedom. Before Delhi Capitals, I played for Rajasthan Royals for eight years and in between I played for RPSG. First three years I was with Mumbai Indians. So, it was always about the role that my team wanted me to play. I wanted to make that happen rather than going out of my role. So, the role that time was to be an anchor and then others will play around me. So, my strike at that time was around 120-130. And then I used to play till 15, 16, 17 overs, sometimes no till the end. But others were the attacking players around me.”
On the transition that happened at CSK, Rahane reveals: “When the shift happened in 2023 with CSK, I had a good two months of preparation. And then I started working a couple of the shots. I thought ‘This is the time I should reinvent myself, probably play freely.’ The opportunity came with CSK.”
The first glimpse of Rahane 2.0 arrived at his home ground — the Wankhede Stadium — on 8 April 2023. An illness to Moeen Ali opened the door at the last minute. He walked through it with startling force, smashing 61 off 27 balls, including seven fours and three sixes.
“Actually, I was not playing in that game, but some injury happened. And then at the last minute I got an opportunity to play. When we had our camp, the CSK management had told me that whenever you will get an opportunity, we will back you completely. So, you just go out there and play freely. So, that one thing completely changed. I played with a fearless approach because I knew that even if I fail, they are going to back me. That opportunity came in Mumbai, where I scored 60 odd runs in 27-28 deliveries (61 off 27). That changed completely. But again, the preparation which I did for those two months, developing my game, playing different shots, that really helped me,” he reminisces.
