3 min readUpdated: Aug 5, 2026 10:46 PM IST
Former India player Ajinkya Rahane credited the duo of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri for toughening up Indian cricket, especially while playing Test overseas. Under the Shastri-Kohli regime, India won two Test series in Australia with Rahane playing a big part in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when he took charge as captain when Kohli returned home after the first Test. Led by Rahane, a heavily-depleted India defeated Australia 2-1 in their own backyard.
“When we started playing in our era, when MS (Dhoni) was going from Test cricket. He was still playing T20Is and ODIs as well but especially in Test cricket, I felt that Virat (Kohli) and Ravi (Shastri) were the guys who toughened up Indian cricket. Especially playing overseas cricket, going aggressive, going bold rather than being defensive and slightly reactive. I think we were always proactive,”.Rahane said in the Stick To Cricket Podcast.
Last week, Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket in an emotional video he posted on his social media. The 38-year-old draws curtains on a career that saw him play 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is for the Indian cricket team in a career which began in 2013.
“Virat and Ravi toughened up Indian cricket.” 💪
Who has brought character to the Indian dressing room? 🇮🇳
[@ajinkyarahane88] pic.twitter.com/Bt7Z26xGy5
— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) August 5, 2026
However, he last played for India in the 2023 away Test series against the West Indies. Rahane is active on the domestic circuit and led Mumbai until the 2024-25 season.
Rahane scored 5,077 runs in his Test career for India at 38.46. This had 12 centuries and 26 fifties. In 90 ODIs, he scored 2,962 runs at 35.26 including three tons and 24 fifties. Rahane also turned up in 20 T20Is for India, where he managed to score 375 runs.
“The reality of life is that everything has a beginning and everything has an end. When the time comes, you simply have to respect it and move forward. I have always relied on timing in my batting and have always understood its importance. Today, I feel the timing is right for me to move on and announce my retirement from international cricket and all formats. From those early days, travelling from Dombivli as a young boy just to practice, I gave this game everything I had,” he had said.
“Every single day, every innings, every opportunity I got to bat, the dream was always to wear the India cap. I lived by one simple rule – always put my country and my team ahead of myself. I played this game with complete honesty and I have always believed that if your intent is right, the game will always take care of you. Since the time I made my debut as a first-class cricketer, Indian cricket has grown tremendously and I feel so proud to have been a part of it over the last 20 years,” he added in the post.
