Ajinkya Rahane responds to Dale Steyn's 'PSL Vs IPL' remark; sets eyes on WTC finals

Indian Vice-Captain Ajinkya Rahane responded to South African speedster Dale Steyn's controversial PSL Vs IPL comment asserting that IPL gave a platform to a lot of players both domestically and internationally to 'express' themselves. Dismissing the importance given to Steyn's comments, Rahane, who was addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad, said that he would instead like to comment on the upcoming India Vs England Test. 

"IPL gave the platform to express ourselves, to alot of Indians and overseas players. I don't know what Dale Steyn said, but we're here to talk about the Test match," said Ajinkya Rahane.

Sharing his thoughts on crucial final India Vs England Test, Rahane said, "This Test is really important, we are focussing on the match and get that World Test Championship final spot. But for that we need to follow the process, we are not taking England lightly at all and want to win the match." 

Read: Dale Steyn Has Case Of Sour Grapes? Fans Lash Out At Ex-RCB Star For Picking PSL Over IPL

PSL more rewarding than IPL: Dale Steyn

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Dale Steyn had shared his experiences of playing in the Indian Premier League and compared the tournament with Pakistan Super League and the Sri Lankan Premier League. Remarking that playing in IPL was "less rewarding" as compared to playing in other leagues of the world, the 37-year-old speedster claimed that he notices that an "importance on cricket" is visible among the players in PSL and Sri Lankan Premier League. On the other hand, he described IPL as a tournament where cricket often gets “forgotten” as the main topic is-- "How much money did you go for in this IPL?"

It is important to mention that Dale Steyn had made himself unavailable from the IPL 2021 to play in the PSL 2021 season after which the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise excluded him from their list of retained players.

Read: India Vs England: Maninder Singh Rubbishes R Ashwin Comments On Ahmedabad 3rd Test Pitch

Final India Vs England Test 

Meanwhile, India and England are all set to lock horns in the final fixture of their Test series at the Narendra Modi Stadium from March 4-8. The match assumes significance since even if the contest ends in a stalemate, not only will the Men in Blue end up sealing the series, but will also consolidate their spot in the finals of the ICC World Test Championship bracing to take on New Zealand at the 'Mecca of Cricket' Lord's. However, if England manages to get the last laugh by winning the final Test match, then India's opportunity to tackle New Zealand would be taken by Australia who would face them in the ICC World Test Championship decider.

Read: Team India Players Showcase Fielding Drills Ahead Of 4th & Final Test In Ahmedabad

Read: Australia Sets Eyes On 4th India-England Test, Back Root & Co With Hopes Of WTC Final Spot