&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ajinkya Rahane bids adieu to...: Decision leaves cricket fans stunned")
Veteran Indian batter and former Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane has stepped down as the captain of the Mumbai Ranji team, just ahead of the 2025–26 domestic season. Rahane, who last played an ODI for India in 2018 and a T20I in 2016, has not been part of India’s white-ball setup for years. However, he remained a consistent and reliable performer in red-ball cricket. He played his last Test match against the West Indies at Port of Spain, where he managed to score just eight runs. Since then, he hasn’t been picked for the national team but continued to play domestic cricket for Mumbai.
In the 2025 IPL season, Rahane also led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and scored 390 runs from 13 matches, proving that he still has plenty to offer. Despite his experience and leadership, Rahane has now made a bold decision to step away from the captaincy role. On Thursday (Aug 21), Rahane posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Captaining and winning championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour. With a new domestic season ahead, I believe it's the right time to groom a new leader, and hence I've decided not to continue in the captaincy role. I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with the Mumbai Cricket Association to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season.”
Rahane’s decision comes after a successful run as captain, where he led Mumbai to multiple titles. Under his leadership:
- Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy in 2023-24, ending a seven-year title drought
- They also lifted the Irani Cup (2024–25)
- Won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022–23
Though stepping down as captain, Rahane has clearly stated he is not retiring. He will continue to play for Mumbai. With experienced players like Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sarfaraz Khan in the squad, Mumbai has strong leadership options going forward. Mumbai will kick off their Ranji campaign against Jammu and Kashmir from October 15, 2025.
