Ajinkya Rahane set to join Leicestershire from June

Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane is all set to join Leicestershire from June this year as he looks forward to having an outstanding run at the County Championship 2023 in order to regain his place in the Indian Test squad.

Rahane who had led Team India to a memorable triumph on Australian soil in the 2020-21 Border -Gavaskar Trophy is now no longer in the scheme of things in the national team’s red-ball squad due to underwhelming batting performances in the 2021/22 season.

Ajinkya Rahane looks to make a statement during his stint at Leicestershire

The Mumbai cricketer will be looking forward to make the best use of his experience to bolster Leicestershire’s batting lineup. In fact, the 34-year-old has made himself available for both the County Championship as well as the Royal London Cup.

However, the former India Test vice-captain will reportedly only make himself available for selection during Leicestershire’s away fixture against Gloucestershire that is scheduled from June 11 to 14. Prior to that, he will be busy with his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 commitments.

“I’m really happy to be joining Leicestershire for the upcoming season. I can’t wait to play alongside my new teammates and explore the vibrant city of Leicester,” said Rahane as quoted by a cricket news website.

“I’m extremely excited to welcome Ajinkya to Leicestershire. He comes with a lot of experience and a tremendous work ethic. It’s a great opportunity for us to tap into that. I had conversations with (Assistant Coach) Alfonso Thomas and (Head Coach) Paul Nixon, who had eyed Ajinkya in the past, so he was always on our radar. It was a case of seeing what the team needed, which was definitely a senior overseas batsman, so we are delighted to have secured someone of Ajinkya’s calibre,” said club’s director Claude Henderson.