Ranji Trophy 2022-23: Ajinkya Rahane clocks double-century vs Hyderabad
Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane mustered a terrific double-century against Hyderabad in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2022-23. The veteran batter accomplished the milestone on Day 2 of the contest. Rahane paced his knock to perfection as Hyderabad bowlers struggled big time against him. He ended up scoring a 261-ball 204, a knock laced with 26 boundaries and three maximums. Here are his stats.
Why does this story matter?
Rahane has been out of the Test team since January this year. The emergence of players like Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer pushed Rahane's international career further into the dark. Hence, the ongoing Ranji season is crucial for him, and the former Indian vice-captain is making a mark. Rahane batted aggressively and his strike rate was 78.16. He eventually fell prey to Tanay Thyagarajan.
Rahane shines against Hyderabad
Mumbai lost the toss and were asked to bat first. Rahane arrived at number four with the scorecard reading 176/2. He didn't allow Hyderabad to stage a comeback as the flow of runs didn't slow down. Rahane added 206 runs alongside youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal, who also scored a brilliant 195-ball 162. The former carried on even after Jaiswal's departure and brought up a double-ton.
A look at his First-Class career
Rahane now owns 12,479 runs in 172 First Class games with his average being over 46. The tally includes 38 tons and 53 half-centuries. 265* reads his highest score in the format. In Test cricket, Rahane has mustered 4,931 runs in 82 games at an average of 38.52 with 12 centuries and 25 half-centuries. He has also led India in six Tests.
Can Rahane make a comeback against Australia?
Notably, India will host Australia in a four-match Test series in February-March next year. Rahane would like to stage a comeback in the same. A series of good performances in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season can help his cause. Notably, Rahane, after falling out of favor, has missed the Test series against Sri Lanka, the one-off England Test, and the ongoing Bangladesh Test series.
Mumbai declare at 651/6
Meanwhile, Mumbai have declared their first innings at 651/6. Besides Rahane and Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan also contributed with a brilliant ton. He scored 126 off 161 balls, a knock studded with 18 boundaries. Suryakumar Yadav also made a fiery 90 off 80 balls. Kartikeya Kak took three wickets for Hyderabad. Notably, Mumbai beat Andhra by nine wickets in their campaign opener.
