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Ajinkya Rahane retires from all forms of cricket [Source: X and Screengrabs]
India's Test veteran and Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from international cricket and all forms of the game on July 30, 2026. In an Instagram video that he dropped on his official social media handle, Rahane posted a two-minute 51-second-long monologue to express his thoughts about hanging up his boots.
The video was emotional as Rahane teared up towards the end while pouring his heart out through the words he said to justify his retirement from the game.
Ajinkya Rahane steps down from cricket at the age of 38, with the Maharashtra-born cricketer completing over 195 international matches for India and 212 IPL games for six franchises.
As Rahane puts an end to his legendary career, the internet also rose to give him a massive tribute to the veteran who started his journey in 2011.
Why Did Rahane Step Down From Cricket?
In his speech in the Instagram video, Ajinkya Rahane was emotional as he shared his statement and a possible reason behind his retirement.
Rahane said, "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 I 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 this statement, Rahane is possibly hinting at the age factor and a possible point of no return to the Indian cricket team, which he last represented back in 2023 in a Test match against West Indies.
In the ODI format too, Rahane was last seen in 2018 against South Africa, although he was the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026 as well.
Now, after reaching the fag end of his career, Rahane has hung up his boots with very little possibility of returning to the Indian side, where youngsters and young talents have crowded the playing eleven.
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Internet Showers Praise As Test Veteran Rests His Boots
The internet hasn't been so merciful with Rahane everytime though. During IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders' failure and Ajinkya Rahane's failed captaincy had the internet badmouthing him on several occasions, raising questions about his leadership decisions and poor captaincy choices.
However, as Rahane hangs up his boots, the internet has shown love for the India veteran, who will now continue his career only as a cricket expert, cricket pundit, and cricket commentator.
Let's take a look at how the fans and the internet reacted to Ajinkya Rahane's retirement:
"EK SHANDAR CRICKETER AJINKYA RAHANE JI NE INTERNATIONAL CRICKET KO ALVIDA KIYA.. @ajinkyarahane88 apko Badhai age ke liye.. desh apke yogdan ho YAD KAREGA CRICKET," - @jaijairamrathod
"Modern cricketers often make headlines for their love lives or social activities, but players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and now Ajinkya Rahane focused solely on cricket. Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir have proven to be a curse for Team India," - @politics_vibes
"Unsung Hero of Indian Test Cricket Retires. Thank you, Ajinkya Rahane, for the memories especially leading India to the historic 2020–21 Test series win down under In an era driven by hype, you stood for humility, grace, and character," - @Alhad_Nene
"That BGT win will be special for so many of us for a long time. Go well, Ajinkya Rahane." - @vinayakkm
Will Ajinkya Rahane Play IPL 2027?
While Rahane has announced his retirement from international cricket, some may believe that he still might play in the Indian Premier League, representing Kolkata Knight Riders and leading the team.
However, Rahane clearly stated that he will be retiring from international cricket and all forms of the game, which effectively means that he will not play in IPL 2027 and has also retired from the IPL as well.
Rahane's retirement will bring another major question for the Kolkata Knight Riders camp, where the team management will have to find his successor soon.
Rahane’s Glorious Career In Cricket
Rahane's prolific career reached its peak when he led India to a Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in Australia. He played 144 Test innings, scoring 5,077 runs at an average of 38.46 and a strike rate of 49.50.
He also scored 12 centuries and 26 half-centuries in the format, while in ODIs, he scored 2,962 runs from 87 innings with a decent average of 35.26. However, in T20Is, he boasts modest numbers, having featured in only 20 games and scoring 375 runs at a strike rate of 102.29.
In the IPL, Rahane represented several teams like Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, and ultimately Kolkata Knight Riders. From the 212 matches he played, Rahane scored 5,367 runs at an average of 30.15, while maintaining a strike rate of 125.60.
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