After WTC 2023 Final debacle, former India captain shifts focus to county cricket

Senior India batter Ajinkya Rahane will be plying his trade for the English county side Leicestershire in division two, after finishing his two-Test assignment with Indian team against the West Indies.

Rahane, a former India captain, recently made a successful comeback to the Indian team during the World Test Championship final against Australia earlier this month.

Rahane had inked the deal with Leicestershire back in January and was supposed to play eight first class games and also the entire Royal London Cup (domestic 50 over competition) between June to September, after the completion of his IPL stint with Chennai Super Kings.

However, the plan had to be shelved since he made a comeback to Indian Test team and couldn't join his county side immediately after the IPL was over.

"Ajinkya, after the two Tests in West Indies (which is supposed to end on July 24), is supposed to fly directly to England and join Leicestershire for the remainder of the season. He will play Royal London Cup in August and a possible four County games in September as he is unlikely to be a part of white ball scheme of things," a BCCI source in know of things, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

This will be Rahane's second county stint, having played for Hampshire in the 2019 season when he was dropped from the 50 over World Cup side.

Rahane, who scored 89 in Indian first innings in WTC final, has just completed 5,000 runs in the traditional format in 83 Tests.

While most of the top Indian players will shift their focus on 50 over cricket, Rahane will get more red-ball game time through the month of September, before he is back in India for the full fledged Indian domestic season, followed by a tour of South Africa in December.