Ajinkya Rahane has revealed the message he received from Sachin Tendulkar after announcing his retirement from international cricket. Rahane ended his international career on Thursday, July 30, fighting back tears as he announced his decision to step away from the highest level of the sport.
Rahane's cricketing journey began on the grounds of Mumbai before taking him to some of the most memorable moments in Indian cricket. He finished his international career with 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is.
The former India captain is perhaps best remembered for leading the team to a historic Test series victory in Australia, one of the defining achievements of his career.
After years of representing India across formats, the 37-year-old decided that the time was right to bring his international journey to an end.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Rahane revealed that Tendulkar was the first person to call him after the announcement. According to Rahane, the batting legend told him that he had expected him to continue playing for a little longer.
Rahane also revealed that Irfan Pathan called him, while Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah sent him messages. He said he told all of them that he was content with everything he had contributed to the game.
"The first call came from Sachin (Tendulkar) paaji, who said he thought I would play for longer. I told him I didn’t want to drag on because I was retiring without any regrets. Irfan Pathan also called, while Pujara, Virat, Rohit and Bumrah all messaged me. I told everyone the same thing: I was satisfied because I had given everything to the game," Rahane said.
RAHANE CRIED AFTER RECORDING RETIREMENT VIDEO
Rahane's retirement announcement was an emotional moment, and the former India batter admitted that he broke down after recording the video.
"After recording the video, I cried a lot. I was emotional while discussing retirement with my family, but I didn’t expect the recording itself to affect me so much. The reality hit that I would no longer do something I had loved for years. That thought stayed with me throughout the recording," Rahane said.
Although he has retired from international cricket, Rahane is not stepping away from the sport altogether. He has decided to continue playing and will feature in the inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).
