I don’t want to complicate things: Ajinkya Rahane on his mindset ahead of the WTC Final

Ajinkya Rahane is one name that would always be synonymous with resilience after he led the Indian unit to history back in Australia with very limited yet highly motivated sources at his disposal back in 2020-21.

However, after that phase, things went downhill for Rahane and runs were extremely hard to come by. The crisis deepened for the then-Indian vice-captain when he was stripped of the test team's vice-captaincy and then fell out of favour with the Indian selectors due to his questionable form.

Fast-forward the clock by a year and Rahane was back up on his feet, fighting tooth and nail to get back those valuable runs. After a successful Ranji Trophy followed by an impressive burst in the recently concluded IPL, he earned a spot in India’s squad for the World Test Championship Final against Australia, that begins on June 7th. 

Rahane, who is dotingly known as Jinks, opened up to BCCI.tv in an interview where he talked at length about what the selection meant for him, how his closest people supported him through his permacrisis and most importantly why batting in England isn't the easiest of tasks in life.

Talking to BCCI.tv, Rahane said, "Coming back after 18-19 months, whatever has happened, good or bad, I don't want to think about my past. I just want to start afresh and keep doing whatever I have been doing."

He further added, "Personally enjoyed playing for CSK as I have been batting well throughout the season, even before IPL. I had a very good domestic season and I felt good. So this comeback was a bit emotional for me."

Shedding light on his mindset, Rahane said, "I want to bat with the same mindset and show the same intent that I showed before coming here in IPL and Ranji Trophy. I would not like to think about format whether it is T20 or Tests. The way I am batting now, I don't want to complicate things and the more I keep it simple, the better it is for me."

He also highlighted the current mindset in the Indian dugout, stating, "I thought culture in the team now is really good. Rohit (Sharma) is handling the team really well and I am sure Rahul (Dravid) bhai is also handling the team really well. That helps as well and atmosphere is really good. Whatever I am seeing right now is that everyone is enjoying each other's company."

Thanking his wellwishers and supporters, Rahane said, "It was (an) emotional moment for me. When I got dropped, the support I got from my family was massive and dream was to play for India and that was massive. Playing for India matters a lot for me and I worked hard on my fitness and went back to domestic cricket."

He also expressed his gratitude to BCCI for keeping him in their plans, adding, "Thanks to BCCI and selectors and when I went back to domestic cricket, the goal was to play for India -- be it Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or practice session, for me, every day that I was waking up, it was all about thinking that I can play for India again."

Rahane also talked about his comeback, stating, "What made my comeback possible was enjoying each and every moment, be it success or failure, and having no regrets. Learning from every individual in the Mumbai Ranji team. You have to grow as a cricketer every single day, the learning process shouldn't stop."

He concluded by talking about conditions in England, adding, "It's all about mindset and reading the situation well, staying in (the) moment and playing it session by session. In England, you just don't look at the pitch but also keep an eye on the weather. In England, you never feel that you are in even if you are batting on 70."