The Azad Maidan, the birthplace of Mumbai’s school cricket, is around 50 km away from Dombivli, the satellite town close to Mumbai that Ajinkya Rahane mentioned in his retirement video. It took about two hours to go from house to the ground, including an 80-minute commute in a crowded suburban train. In order to get to Azad Maidan in time for a match at 9.30 a.m., Rahane would leave his house at around 7 a.m.
Friends who accompanied him on those train trips remember that as his match-day routine. While many of his seniors walked out to find a nearby restaurant, he would carry two tiffin boxes, one for breakfast and the other for lunch, and eat on the ground. His concentration was unwavering from a young age.
Former India left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni was one of Rahane’s first instructors. Despite attending SV Joshi High School at different eras, both were from Dombivli. The coach at the school called Kulkarni one day and asked him to look at a young cricket player who showed promise. I can still clearly recall the day the school coach called me. It turned out to be SV Joshi High School, the same institution I had attended. The coach encouraged me to come observe a talented young cricket player who performed incredibly well.
I went to see him bat in the nets since, coincidentally, I had some job in Dombivli at the time. I was quite impressed. Kulkarni, who is fifteen years older than Rahane, says, “It was even more special because we were from the same town and attended the same school.” “His sincerity, diligence, concentration, and eagerness to learn made him stand out from the start.”
Later, Kulkarni relocated to Mulund from Dombivli. Rahane moved to the same suburb years later, taking up residence just behind the former India spinner’s home. For practice, the two would frequently go to the BKC pitch or Wankhede Stadium together. Their relationship persisted.
I started to comprehend his way of thinking as we travelled together. Despite his shyness and introversion throughout his life, he remained adamant about his desires. According to Kulkarni and another former teammate, Dhawal Kulkarni, “he was determined to make something of himself right from the beginning.”
“Behind his composed exterior, there is aggression.” He would seem composed even under duress, and I came to see that he had a hint of cool hostility. We both competed for Mumbai’s U-19 team, India’s U-19 team, and the Senior Mumbai team. Former India pacer Dhawal Kulkarni, who played under Rahane and views him as a bowlers’ captain, adds, “He is always focused and sincere.”
Rahane’s profession has, of course, always been characterised by sincerity, dedication, hard effort, and a willingness to learn.
Renowned Mumbai cricket coach Raju Pathak remembers a game at Azad Maidan where Rahane was unable to bat at the top of the order due to a leg injury.
Rahane offered to bat despite the injury because the squad was in desperate need of runs. “He entered at number seven and scored about 35 runs to lead the team to victory despite being in a lot of agony. At that point, he would be 12 or 13. “He was sincere, hard-working, and totally focused on his cricket even at such a young age,” says Pathak, the coach at Rizvi College in Bandra, where Rahane studied commerce.
