Rahane reinstated as India's Test vice-captain: Decoding his leadership prowess
Ajinkya Rahane has been named the vice-captain of India's Test team for the two-match series against hosts West Indies, starting July 12. BCCI confirmed the same by announcing India's Test and ODI squads for the full-fledged tour on June 23. Rahane, who was dropped from the Test team last year, has enjoyed a dream run lately. Here we decode his leadership stats.
A remarkable turnaround for Rahane
A poor run of form saw Rahane being dropped from the Test side following the South Africa series in January last year. He toiled hard and enjoyed impressive outings in Ranji Trophy as well as in the 2023 Indian Premier League. The recent ICC World Test Championship final against Australia marked his comeback as several front-line batters were unavailable due to injuries.
A stellar show in the WTC final
Rahane's comeback to the Test team could not have been better as he scored a valiant 129-ball 89 in his first innings after comeback. Notably, he rescued India from a top-order collapse. He backed his fifty with a 108-ball 46 in India's second innings. Though India lost the contest by 209 runs, Rahane's grit and determination against a formidable Aussie bowling attack impressed many.
Rahane is a proven leader
Notably, this is Rahane's reinstatement as India's Test vice-captain as he held the position for several years before being replaced by Rohit Sharma ahead of the 2021-22 SA tour. He even led the team in six Tests in former skipper Virat Kohli's absence. While India emerged winners in four Tests, two games were drawn. Notably, Rahane has replaced the injured KL Rahul as vice-captain.
The big Test in the 2020-21 series Down Under
One of Rahane's major tests as skipper came in the 2020-21 Test series on Australian soil. India suffered a humiliating eight-wicket defeat in the opener in which they were infamously folded for 36 in their second innings. Furthermore, Kohli returned home after the first Test for the birth of his first child. Rahane led India in the remaining three Tests.
A historic comeback from Rahane's India
The Kohli-less India emphatically bounced back with an eight-wicket win in the second Test in Melbourne. Rahane played a captain's knock of 112 in India's first innings in that game. While many called India's Melbourne win a mere fluke, the visitors went on to clinch the series 2-1. Notably, India claimed a historic three-wicket win in the final Test with a second-stringed bowling attack.
What makes Rahane a special captain?
Rahane has his own way of operating. Though he is not one of the most aggressive and animated characters, the 35-year-old is certainly proactive. Rahane also understands how to make the most of the available resources. His captaincy in the 2020-21 Australia tour is a testimony of the same. As a captain, he has scored 359 Test runs at 39.88.
An ethically-strong skipper
Rahane is an ethically-strong personality as he has stood up for the right many times. He asked the officials to intervene midway through the play when Mohammed Siraj complained about being racially abused by the crowd in the 2021 Brisbane Test. In the 2022 Duleep Trophy final, he sent his West Zone teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal off the field for his behavior.
His accomplishments as skipper
Under his leadership, Rajasthan Royals reached the playoffs of IPL 2018. As a skipper, he has made 583 runs in 25 IPL games at 25.34. The tally includes nine wins and 16 defeats. He led West Zone to glory in last year's Duleep Trophy. Rahane led a second-string Indian team to a 3-0 ODI series win in the 2015 Zimbabwe tour.
A look at his Test stats
During the WTC final, Rahane crossed the landmark of 5,000 Test runs. He became the 13th Indian batter to complete the milestone in Test cricket. Overall, he has compiled 5,066 runs in 83 Test matches at an average of 38.26. Rahane owns 26 fifties and 12 centuries. Among active Indian batters, he is the third-highest run-scorer, behind Kohli (8,479) and Cheteshwar Pujara (7,195).
