By Boria Majumdar
He isn’t a T-20 natural and, despite being a senior pro, was expected to sit out for the Chennai Super Kings. Frankly speaking, there was no reason for the Chennai side to go back to him had there not been an injury concern. Knowing that the Wankhede track offers early assistance to the faster bowlers, CSK went back to Ajinkya Rahane. And may I say, it was yet another MSD masterstroke.
Chasing 150, Rahane brought out all his experience and was not flustered at any point during the run chase. He was in a hurry to close out the game, and wanted to make sure he never lost control. Maintaining a fantastic strike-rate, Rahane helped CSK get off to a flier despite the loss of Devon Conway. In doing so, he pushed his team into the top half in the points table. More than the runs scored, the manner in which they were made stood out for me. Calm and composed, Rahane was out there to make a statement. He was out here to prove his class. Show once and for all the value of experience. And his range of shots. That’s what he did and CSK now has momentum at the start of the season.
Rahane is all about effort. He may not be as talented as some of his compatriots, but he makes up for all of his deficiencies with hard work. Even when he wasn’t scoring, Rahane had not lost confidence. As he had said in the past, “I have to tell you I am feeling very good about my batting. I practiced as hard as possible.”
It feels good to see Rahane back among the runs. Winning a match on his own. Getting the fastest 50 of the season off just 19 balls. Make a statement. Soon after the IPL, the Indian team will leave for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, and Rahane could still be an option for the injured Shreyas Iyer. He has the game and, for a one-off final, could be a good choice.
It is not known whether Chennai will make the play offs. It is also not known if they will play Rahane regularly going forward. What is known, however, is that with Rahane, there will never be a lack of effort. He will be up for the daily grind irrespective of the results, for Rahane is all about the process. And preparation. And hard work. And as the saying goes, good things happen to good people.
And in sport, more often than not, self-belief and mental strength make all the difference. Like they did for Rahane against MI. He knew the Wankhede better than most, and used the opportunity to his advantage. That’s where you need to credit Dhoni. The one decision that proved decisive in the end. Just like the DRS call against Suryakumar Yadav, this was yet another moment of brilliance from the CSK skipper. Will he go back to Rahane going forward? Suffice to say Dhoni will always be about pleasant surprises.