India great calls time on glittering cricket career

India batter Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing the curtain down on a distinguished career spanning more than a decade.

Rahane represented India in 195 international matches across all three formats, establishing himself as one of the country's most dependable batters. His greatest success came in Test cricket, where he played 85 matches, scoring 5,077 runs, including 12 centuries.

He last played for India in a Test match against West Indies in 2023.

"The reality of life is that everything has a beginning and everything has an end. When the time comes, we simply have to respect it and move forward," Rahane said in a video he posted on his social media.

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."

Among his most memorable achievements were finishing as India's highest scorer in the first innings of both the 2021 and 2023 ICC World Test Championship Finals. 

A long-serving vice-captain, Rahane also etched his name into Indian cricket history by leading the side to a remarkable comeback series victory over Australia in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

In One-Day Internationals, Rahane featured in 90 matches over a seven-year career after making his debut in 2011. He accumulated 2,962 runs, including three centuries, and played a key role in India's run to the semi-finals of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2015, scoring 208 runs across eight innings.

Rahane made his international debut in T20 Internationals and went on to play 20 matches in the format where he scored 375 runs.