Having found opportunities hard to come by in the limited-overs formats for India in recent years, Ajinkya Rahane has bemoaned his lack of a consistent run in the squad.
The right-handed batsman has not played an ODI for India since February, 2018 although he remains a regular in the Test setup.
With the ICC World Cup in England just over a couple of months away, time is running out for Rahane to stake his claim for a role in the ODI squad and the batsman feels he has not been given ample opportunity to do so.
“I am quite shy. I prefer to let my bat speak but sometimes it’s important to speak the truth,” Rahane told The Hindu in an interview.
“I have always believed the team comes first and respected the management and the selectors’ decision. I will continue to do that. But in the end, it is important that your performance is recognised.
“The point is that if as a player I have always played for the team, then I deserve chances more consistently. That’s the least I am asking.”
Rahane last featured in an ODI in February, 2018.
While Rahane has not featured in the ODI squad for over a year, India chief selector MSK Prasad had recently declared that the batsman remains in contention for the World Cup squad.
However, the Mumbai man has not been picked for the upcoming ODI series against Australia and it looks unlikely at this stage that he can force his way back into the side. Rahane though, is not letting himself get bogged down with negativity.
“If I feel let down, my mindset will turn negative and so, I don’t really think that way. If you see the last three-four series, my average was around 45 to 50. After I was dropped, I went back to domestic cricket and feel I have done reasonably well,” he stated.
“But every individual needs confidence and positive vibes like ‘yes, you are there and you are doing it for the team’. I think everyone knows that if someone is backing you, the player gets the confidence to play fearless and positive cricket.”
Rahane has so far played 90 ODIs for India over the course of his career and has manged to score 3, 767 runs at an average of over 35 and a strike-rate of nearly 79.
