‘Confident of playing the World Cup’ – Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane, who is not in the Indian squad for any of the white-ball formats currently, said at an event, “I am confident of making a comeback and I am confident of playing the World Cup. That is why I played domestic cricket because it helped me and I am sure I will bounce back.”

Rahane’s rise after making his international debut in 2011 was quite remarkable, and he still has a decent average in Tests (41.40) and ODIs (35.26). But he has slipped in the pecking order on the whole.

“Sometimes there is a phase where you score a 20 or a 30 and you feel I can get a big one, but your mind goes in the future and things change. It is important to stay in the present and keep mentally strong,” he explained.

“A lot of people come to give you sympathy when things don’t work out, but you need to keep such people away and not think of negative things.”

He has been a regular in the Test XI, though. He played all five Tests on the recent tour of England, scoring two half-centuries, and has since scored 41 and 80 against the Windies.

“It hurts when you are not doing well as you want to do well for the team. I was disappointed when I was dropped in South Africa, but I wanted to stay focused and looked at Johannesburg as a great opportunity. And my 48 on that pitch was as good as a century,” he said of the second-innings effort that 63-run India win earlier this year.