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Cricket Players'I don't talk about myself, but my IPL record is really good': India Test specialist 'confident' ahead of mega auction
The mega auction for IPL 2022 is set to be held on February 12 and 13 and the next edition of the T20 league will be a 10-team affair.
He may have played his last white-ball game for India in 2018 but Ajinkya Rahane doesn't want to be put in a pigeonhole. The top-order batter from Mumbai endured a tumultuous 2021 where he scored only 479 runs at an average of 20.82 in 13 Test matches. Many pundits have questioned his presence in the team and the Test specialist could be staring down the barrel of an oust if he doesn't elevate his performances with the willow.
But the 33-year-old Rahane is confident ahead of the IPL mega auction where the world's top cricketers will be among 590 players who will go under the hammer. Rahane, who has been listed at a base price of ₹1 crore, comes into the auction as a leadership option, having led Rajasthan Royals in his nine-year-long stint with the franchise. In 151 IPL matches he has played so far, he has scored 3941 runs at an average of 31.53 and a strike rate of 121.34.
"I don't talk about myself, but my IPL record is really good. Especially for Rajasthan Royals, I've played 7-8 years, did really well. I didn't get much game time in the last 2 years, but I'm confident. For me, it's all about playing matches, it's all about playing consistently in white-ball cricket. So, I'm looking forward to that," Rahane told veteran sports journalist Boria Majumdar on his YouTube show 'Backstage with Boria'.
Rahane believes IPL is a platform to showcase your talent and wants to play regular cricket despite not being in the white-ball scheme of things. Rahane also spent his most time on the sidelines in the previous IPL season where he was a part of Delhi Capitals.
"I want to play cricket, this is my passion and I want to give my best. So, that is my priority. Whatever comes after that it's not in my control. But, I want to play games regularly and keep contributing, whichever team I play for and IPL is the platform, you can express your talent and express yourself and it is the biggest platform," Rahane further said.
The mega auction for IPL 2022 is set to be held on February 12 and 13 and the next edition of the T20 league will be a 10-team affair, with Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants being the two new franchises. INR 2 crore is the highest reserve price and as many as 48 players have chosen to place themselves in this bracket.
There are 20 players on the auction list with a reserve price of INR 1.5 crore while 34 players are on the list of cricketers with a reserve price of INR 1 crore.
