Nothing changes between me and Virat, he is my captain and I am his deputy: Rahane

Agencies
January 26, 2021

Nothing changes between me and Virat Kohli, he is my captain and I am his  deputy: Ajinkya Rahane | Cricket News – India TV

Chennai, Jan 26: Ajinkya Rahane has won many a fans with his astute captaincy during the Indian team's epic triumph in Australia but he would like to make it very clear that the undisputed leader of this side is Virat Kohli and he is happy filling in when required.

Come February 5, Rahane will again be the vice-captain of the Test team against England with Kohli back in the saddle. So will things be different now when he once again dons the vice captain's hat?

"Nothing changes. Virat was and will always be the captain of the Test team and I am his deputy. When he was absent it was my duty to lead the side and my responsibility to give my best for Team India's success," Rahane, who was on his way to Chennai, told PTI in an exclusive interview.

For the vice-captain, it was not about being on the hot seat but having the ability to perform the role to perfection that mattered the most.

"Its not the matter of merely being a captain. How you perform the captain's role is what's more important. So far I have been successful. Hopefully, in future also, I will try to give these kind of results for my team," said the man, who has led his country to four wins in five Tests.

Reflecting on his relationship with Kohli, Rahane said it has always been smooth.

"Me and Virat have always shared a good bonding with each other. He has time and again praised my batting. Both of us played memorable knocks for our team in India and overseas conditions. It only helped that Virat comes at No.4 and myself at No.5. We have had a lot of partnerships," the 32-year-old said.

Theirs is a relationship that has been based on transparency and mutual respect.

"We have always backed each other's game. When we are at the crease, we discuss threadbare about opposition's bowling. We caution each other whenever one of us plays a rash shot."

And how does he find Kohli as a captain?

"Virat is a sharp captain. He takes good on-field decisions. Whenever the spinners are in operation, he is banking on me and he believes that taking those catches at slips off (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja is one of my core competence areas.

"Virat expects a lot from me and I try and ensure not to let him down," said Rahane, who is 13 short of a milestone of 100 catches in Test matches as an outfielder.

Rahane's classy hundred in the Melbourne Test, according to head coach Ravi Shastri, was a catalyst for change.

Having gone through rough patches in the past few years, does he feel more secure about his place in the Test side now?

"Honestly speaking, I never ever felt that my place in the side was ever in danger. The captain and team management always had faith in me," said the Mumbaikar, who has 4472 runs in 69 Tests with 12 hundreds at an average of 42.58.

Rahane believes in the old adage that form is temporary but class is permanent.

"Yes, sometimes in few series, a player is off-colour but that doesn't mean that his class is gone. A player needs only one knock to get back to his form.

"When I was going through a bad patch, my captain boosted my morale. It's always comforting to know that you have his backing and you are then focussed on giving your best without any worries."

People have seen more of a "leader" in Rahane but he downplayed his role.

"With regards to leadership, I can only say that it varies from person to person. A captain is as good as his team. When you win a match or a series, it's always a collective effort and not because of singular man's contribution.

"It's your teammates only, who make you a good leader. The complete credit of this series win belongs to my team," concluded the reticent cricketer.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 22,2024

IPL.jpg

The start of the world’s most lucrative cricket tournament in India is presenting investors with another big opportunity to cash in on the sport, months after the world’s most populous nation hosted the Cricket World Cup.

The eight-week long Indian Premier League begins March 22 for its 17th season. Since its inception, the fast-paced cricket tournament has become a corporate juggernaut to rival the National Football League in the US and the English Premier League in value.

Just as October’s Cricket World Cup boosted consumption in India for months, fans are expected to flock to restaurants, pubs and food delivery platforms over the duration of the tournament. This year’s IPL also coincides with general elections that will last for six weeks starting April 19, a period when companies are expecting higher food and drink sales as people flock to rallies and other events.

“There’s going to be a lot of spending,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda. “IPL, as well as the election, gives a three-month corridor with enhanced economic activity.”

Stocks in India such as McDonald’s franchise operator Westlife Foodworld Ltd. and peer Sapphire Foods India Ltd. gained ahead of the first match on Friday, as well as hotels and beverage makers. Packaged-food companies could also stand to benefit from the IPL craze, said Sachil Bobade, an analyst at investment firm Dolat Capital Market.

The IPL ecosystem was valued at $11 billion (Rs 91,721 crores) in 2023, including the value of media rights and sponsorships, according to Indian valuation consulting firm D&P Advisory.

The league is also attracting record sums of money from sponsors and broadcasters. Conglomerate Tata Group won the title sponsorship rights of the tournament in January for a record 25 billion rupees ($300 million). Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s media venture secured the digital streaming rights in 2022 for five years for $2.7 billion, while Walt Disney Co. paid roughly the same for TV rights.

“There was a serious amount of bidding even this year,” said Vinit Karnik, head of entertainment, esports and sports at media agency GroupM South Asia. “I see growth in IPL in double digits year-on-year,” he adds.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.