Ajinkya Rahane revealed how Rahul Dravid helped him recover from the disappointment of being snubbed from the 2019 World Cup. Despite India’s number 4 conundrum, Rahane was not considered for selection and has remained out of favour from the limited-overs format. The Indian Test vice-captain said the World Cup snub helped him to sit back and introspect.
Rahane’s last limited-overs appearance for India came in an ODI against South Africa in Centurion. He has since been sidelined in both ODIs and T20Is and is now seen only as a Test specialist with a host of young players vying for a spot in the team. Rahane was one of the contenders for the mush-debated number 4 spot in the ODIs but didn’t manage to cement his place.
“At times, we get too caught up in our pursuit of success and then we suddenly realise that we are required to just stop, sit back and introspect. I did exactly that when I wasn’t selected for the 2019 World Cup,” Rahane was quoted as saying by PTI on his World Cup snub. The classy right-hander played for Hampshire in the English county during the World Cup.
Rahane said talking to Dravid, who is currently the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, helped him find a few answers and attain a positive mindset.
“Conversations with Rahul bhai also helped me get those answers that I should keep my batting really simple. Take one game at a time. Be in a positive mindset,” he said.
