Ajinkya Rahane reveals Ben Stokes' advice that helped him deal with social media pressure

Ajinkya Rahane recalled advice from Ben Stokes during their time together in the IPL, which reinforced his approach to switching off from online noise.

Ajinkya Rahane has called time on his cricket career, bringing the curtain down on a journey that saw him become one of India's most dependable Test batters. Although he spent the last few years on the sidelines, Rahane was once an integral part of India's red-ball setup and also featured regularly in the limited-overs side, with consistent IPL performances helping him retain his place. As white-ball cricket evolved and aggressive batting became the norm, players of Rahane's style gradually found themselves pushed out of contention. During his peak, however, he remained a key figure for both India and his IPL franchises. While social media scrutiny was not as relentless as it is today, criticism was still part of a cricketer's life. Reflecting on his career, Rahane revealed how he deliberately stayed away from social media to remain focused on his game.

Ajinkya Rahane has retired from all forms of cricket. (PTI)

Rahane said staying away from social media became an important part of his routine during tournaments, revealing that he would delete all social media apps to avoid distractions. The former India batter also recalled advice from England all-rounder Ben Stokes during their time together in the IPL, which reinforced his approach to switching off from online noise.

"I delete all the social media apps when the series is on. But no one advises us to, and that's just my own advice to myself. I remember Ben Stokes advising me not to see social media in 2017 when we played together in the IPL. Creating a routine helped me individually deal with this once I am in my room. Just things like watching something on Netflix or some other app, reading a book, chatting to family, and ironing my clothes for the next day," Rahane said on Overlap Cricket YouTube channel.

“What people talk about you is temporary”

The former Indian batter also explained how he relied on a dedicated team to manage his social media accounts, allowing him to stay away from online chatter during tours. He admitted the temptation to check reactions after a good performance was always there, but believed it was important not to get carried away by public opinion.

"I have my team who manage everything. Whatever I've to post, I generally send them the photo, and if there is anything to be approved, they'll send it to me. This really helped me a lot on tours. There is a temptation to log in to these apps when you have done well and see all the comments. But that's just temporary; what people talk about you," he added.