‘No Regrets’: Ajinkya Rahane Opens Up On International Retirement, Coaching Goals

Former Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane opened up on international retirement, saying that he has no regrets about the decision after years of giving his "200 per cent" on the field and is happy with the cricket he played. The middle-order pillar also opened up about being open to venturing into coaching/mentorship in the future.

Ajinkya was speaking to ANI in an interview after being unveiled as a marquee player for Amsterdam Flames in the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL). ETPL is Europe's first ICC-sanctioned T20 league. The first season is scheduled from August 26 to September 20, 2026. Across 33 matches, six city-based franchises, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, and Rotterdam, will vie for honours in what marks a watershed moment for the European cricket scene.

This comes just days after Ajinkya, also known as 'Jinx', pulled down the curtains on an illustrious 14-year international cricket career with Team India, during which he was one of the key pillars of India's Test cricket dominance at home and in some memorable wins away from home, aside from plenty of solid performances in limited-overs cricket as well.

Speaking to ANI during the interview, Rahane revealed that he thought about the decision for almost a month and would question himself about if he had any regrets. Having last worn the Indian colours in 2023, the veteran is walking away from international cricket knowing that he gave it all and played some really good cricket for his nation.

"I am very happy with my decision. I am very happy with the kind of cricket I have played. I am a person who never likes to look back. So, when I took this decision, I was probably thinking for over 25-30 days--almost a month--before making it. Every single day, I was questioning myself: 'Are there any regrets? Are there any things I wanted to have done differently?. But the answer I got was: no regrets at all. I did everything as a player; whatever things I had in my control, probably more than that, I gave my 200 per cent every single time," he said.

"No regrets at all. I do not want to look back and probably say, 'Okay, I miss that thing'. I think I have achieved everything. I am really happy with the career I had. As a player, if you think that you have given everything, have no regrets and are happy at the end of your career, I think it is the best feeling. So I have that feeling," he added.

On his future within the cricketing ecosystem, Rahane said that he does not want to "keep his experience in a smaller circle" and rather wants to share it globally by playing in leagues all over the world. On a personal note, he also feels he could be a great mentor/coach later on because of his understanding of a player's mentality, having faced it all throughout his career.

"See, for me as a cricketer, the responsibility is--as I said--I want to think about it in a bigger way. I don't want to keep my experience in a smaller circle; I want to share my experience globally. Whichever league I play for, I do not want to just put a number on it or say, 'I want to play this league only' or 'I want to play that league only.' I want to share my experience while playing the leagues around the world; share my knowledge and share my experience globally," said Rahane.

"But at the same time, I think apart from playing, I will be very good as a mentor and also as a coach, because I understand the mentality of the players. I understand them really well because I have been through every situation and every possible condition as a player. That experience helps you a lot."

"It is all about management, like man-management, coaching, and mentorship. So, yes, the initial focus is because I still want to play cricket--I am still passionate about giving it back and still passionate about playing the sport--but apart from playing, I feel I'll be very good as a coach and a mentor," he signed off.

In an era that was dominated by larger-than-life superstars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli (now lovingly referred as 'Ro-Ko) and India's 'trophy collector' skipper MS Dhoni in terms of performances and headlines, Rahane's quiet grind with the bat, reliance as a slip fielder and calm head as a leader earned himself a name as one of Indian cricket's most decorated servants, whose batsmanship, composed and unflinchingly positive leadership did all the talking.

In Tests, Rahane played 85 matches and 144 innings, scoring 5,077 runs, including 12 centuries and 26 fifties, at an average of 38.46 and a strike rate of 49.50.

Rahane had an undefeated Test captaincy record, featuring four wins, two draws, and the highest win percentage for an Indian Test captain with at least five matches.

His tenure included a memorable comeback victory in Melbourne and India's historic triumph at the Gabba, which ended Australia's long unbeaten streak at the venue during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which the Asian Giants won 2-1.

With the team written off after a shock loss at Adelaide, which saw them being skittled out for just 36 runs, Ajinkya perfectly filled the shoes of skipper Virat Kohli, who had left the tour after first Test due to personal reasons. With his calm head, positivity, and complete freedom and trust to youngsters like Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar and Rishabh Pant won India one of the most fiercely contested Test series ever. His century at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to level the series stands as one of his finest ever.

With the team's dugout turning into a hospital ward after each match due to the sheer amount of injuries, Rahane's calm and positive attitude rubbed off on the entire team, who put on an inspirational performance in the face of all odds.

Also Read: 'Embrace Every Challenge': Gautam Gambhir’s Fresh Mandate For India's New-Look Test Squad Ahead Of Sri Lanka Series

Rahane also led India to a crucial Test win against Australia in Dharamshala in 2017 and a win against Afghanistan at home in 2018.

In ODIs, he featured in 90 matches and 87 innings, scoring 2,962 runs, with 3 centuries and 24 fifties, at an average of 35.26 and a strike rate of 78.63.

In T20Is, he played 20 matches and 20 innings, scoring 375 runs, with no centuries and one fifty, at an average of 20.83 and a strike rate of 113.29.

In 195 international matches, he has scored 8,414 runs in 251 innings at an average of 35.95, with 15 centuries and 51 fifties, with a best score of 188.

He is also the eighth-highest run-getter in the Indian Premier League (IPL), with 5,367 runs in 197 innings at an average of 30.15, with two centuries and 35 fifties and a best score of 105* and captured one IPL title with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2023.