Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane has revealed the message he received from legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar after announcing his retirement from international cricket.
Rahane announced his retirement from his international career on July 30, fighting back tears as he announced his decision to step away from the highest level of the game.
His journey, which began on Mumbai's cricket grounds, went on to include some of the most memorable moments in Indian cricket.
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The former India batter announced his retirement in a video shared on social media, ending a career that spanned 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is. Rahane is perhaps best remembered for his leadership during India's historic 2-1 Test series triumph in Australia in 2020-21, which remains one of the landmark achievements of his career.
After years of representing India across formats, the 38-year-old felt the time had come to draw the curtains on his international journey.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Rahane said Tendulkar was the first person to call him after his retirement announcement. Rahane also noted that the Indian batting legend told him that he would continue playing for a little longer.
Rahane also revealed that Irfan Pathan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah messaged him following his decision. He said he told them that he was satisfied with everything he had given 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," said Rahane.
The retirement announcement was an emotional moment for Rahane, as he said he cried a lot after recording the video in which he announced his decision to step away from international cricket.
"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," he added.
However, Rahane's cricketing journey is not over yet. He will continue playing after deciding to join the inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).
Rahane scored 5,077 runs in 85 Tests at an average of 38.46. In ODIs, he scored 2,962 runs in 90 matches.
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