“We have eyed him in the past”, Claude Henderson on Ajinkya Rahane’s signing of Leicestershire

Ajinkya Rahane makes the headlines again: County cricket has always been a very plausible pedestal for a lot of cricketers across the globe to get back in shape and form. The preceding year saw how Cheteshwar Pujara revived his flailing international career by joining the county echelons and ever since his return to the national side, he has been back to his former glorious self, the rock that helped India establish a firm stand against juggernauts of the sport.

India’s former vice-captain, Ajinkya Rahane also chose to tread upon the same path as he signed an indenture to don the Leicestershire jersey for the 2023 season. This, however, isn’t Rahane maiden county rodeo considering the fact that he has previously represented Hampshire in 2019.

Here’s a glimpse at what Ajinkya Rahane brings to the table

Rahane will be available for 8 matches of the County Championship as he will be joining Leicestershire after the conclusion of his tenure with his current IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings. If not picked by India for any upcoming series, then he will be entirely available for the One Day Cup.

Rahane was happy to be a part of Leicester and added a handful of valuable words, stating, “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.”

Ajinkya Rahane has been a leading showrunner in the Indian colours when it comes to the longest format of the game as he has played 82 Test matches, scoring 5000 runs at an average of 38.52. His latest appearance for the Indian cricket team came in January 2022 where the Men in Blue were up against the Proteas in the latter’s backyard.

Leicestershire’s Director of cricket, Claude Henderson said, “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.”