Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 30: Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a distinguished career spanning more than a decade.

The 38-year-old cricketer shared an emotional message with fans on social media, saying he felt it was the right time to move forward while remaining connected with the sport.

"The reality of life is that everything has a beginning and everything has an end. When the time comes, you simply have to respect it and move forward. I have always relied on timing in my batting and understood its importance. Today, I feel the timing is right for me to move on and announce my retirement from international cricket and all formats," Rahane said.

Reflecting on his journey, Rahane recalled his early days of travelling from Dombivli for practice and said he had given everything to the game and the country.

Rahane played a key role in India's historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in Australia during the 2020-21 series. Leading the team in the absence of Virat Kohli, Rahane's century in the Melbourne Test was one of the defining moments of the series victory.

Known for his calm approach and resilience, Rahane represented India in 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is, scoring a total of 8,414 international runs. Of these, 5,077 runs came in Test cricket.

He also featured in 212 IPL matches across six franchises during his domestic T20 career.

Rahane made his Test debut against Australia in 2013 and soon became a dependable middle-order batter, particularly in overseas conditions. Eight of his 12 Test centuries came outside India, highlighting his ability to perform on challenging pitches.

While announcing his retirement from international cricket, Rahane indicated that he intends to remain closely associated with the sport and continue contributing to the game in the future.