Ajinkya Rahane takes sudden break from cricket, pulls out of Ranji Trophy

Senior Mumbai and Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he will not play any further matches in the ongoing red-ball season. Rahane cited personal reasons for the decision, which have led to uncertainty and speculation around his future in professional cricket.

Mumbai will play two Ranji Trophy league matches in the season. They will first travel to face Hyderabad in an away fixture scheduled from January 22 to 25. After that, Mumbai will return home to play their final league game against Delhi at the MCA-BKC ground from January 29 to February 1 in the Ranji Trophy.

Ajinkya Rahane Opts Out of Remaining Red-Ball Season

According to a report by The Indian Express, the Mumbai squad for the upcoming match against Hyderabad will be picked on January 17. The report added that Ajinkya Rahane will not be included after he informed the association about his unavailability for the remaining two red-ball matches.

“We will be picking the Mumbai team for their second stage of league game, Rahane won’t be taking part as he has informed MCA that he won’t be available for the remaining two red ball games,” a source in the MCA told The Indian Express.

Ajinkya Rahane’s Recent Domestic Journey With Mumbai

Ajinkya Rahane has been playing domestic cricket for Mumbai for the past two seasons. He last played for India in July 2023 and has not been in the national selection picture since then. Rahane is part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad and will feature in the upcoming IPL season.

His current Ranji Trophy season has been quiet by his standards. He has scored only one hundred in four matches so far.

Before the season began, Rahane stepped down as Mumbai captain. He said it was the right time to give the responsibility to a younger player. Shardul Thakur took over as the new captain of the team.

Rahane led Mumbai to major success before giving up the role. The team won the Ranji Trophy in 2023-24, ending a seven-year wait for the title. Mumbai also lifted the Irani Cup in 2024-25 under his leadership. Rahane had said that he would continue to serve Mumbai as a player after stepping down.

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