Ajinkya Rahane last featured in a Test match for India in July 2023 against the West Indies. The experienced right-hander, who has been out of the squad since then, has expressed his desire to return to the Test arena. Rahane played a vital role in India’s road to the finals of the ICC World Test Championship in both the 2019–21 and 2021–23 cycles.
He also famously led India to a memorable series victory over Australia in the 2020–21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy during Virat Kohli’s absence. Serving as the vice-captain during Kohli’s tenure, Rahane was once a key figure in the Test setup but eventually lost his place to emerging young talents.
Ajinkya Rahane: “I Still Have the Hunger to Play Test Cricket”
Veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane made an appearance at Lord’s during the third Test between India and England. While speaking with former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports, Rahane expressed his continued desire to represent India in Test cricket.
“It feels great to be here. I still have the ambition to play Test cricket for India. It’s a format I’m very passionate about. Right now, I’m really enjoying my game,” said the 37-year-old. “I’m just here for a few days, but I’ve brought my training gear along to stay fit. Our domestic season is around the corner, so I’ve already started my preparations.”
"I still want to play Test cricket!" 👀
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 12, 2025
Ajinkya Rahane joins Athers & Nas at Lord's… and the 37-year-old still has a desire to play in white for India 💙 pic.twitter.com/gZGZr32chl
Ajinkya Rahane was last seen in action during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), where he took charge as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the season. Unfortunately, KKR couldn’t make it to the playoffs. During the tournament, Rahane expressed his desire to return to the Indian national team.
“I still have the hunger, the passion, and the fire to play for India again. I’m feeling fit and ready. Right now, I’m focused on taking it one game at a time in the IPL. After that, we’ll see what the future holds,” Rahane had stated.
Since being dropped from the Test squad, Ajinkya Rahane has remained active in domestic cricket, representing the Mumbai team in India’s domestic circuit.
So far, Rahane has featured in 85 Test matches, scoring 5,077 runs across 144 innings at an average of 38.46. The right-handed batter has notched up 12 centuries and 26 fifties in his career.