NEW DELHI: Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket.Rahane shared the news through a post on Instagram, where he uploaded a video message with the caption: “Cap 278 signing off.”“Thank you for all the love and support over the years. Always grateful,” Rahane wrote in his post. “The reality of life is that everything has a beginning and everything has an end. When the time comes, you simply have to respect it and move on. I have always relied on timing in my batting and I have always understood its importance,” said Rahane.“Today, I feel the time is right for me to step forward and announce my retirement from international cricket and all formats. From those early days, traveling as a child just to practice, I gave this game everything I had. Every day, every innings, every opportunity I got to bat, the dream was always to wear the Indian cap,” he added.“I have lived by a simple rule. I always put my country and my team before myself. I have played this game with complete honesty and I have always believed that if your intent is right, the game will always take care of you,” said the veteran cricketer.“Since I made my debut as a first-class cricketer, Indian cricket has grown tremendously and I feel so proud to have been a part of it in the last 20 years. While my chapter as an Indian cricketer is coming to an end, my journey with the game is not. I hope to help the next generation, share the values that this sport has taught me and everything it has taught me.”Rahane also thanked the BCCI, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), his teammates, coaches, IPL franchises, family, friends and fans for their support throughout his career.“And a very special thanks to all the cricket fans who have supported me through every high and low. Ajinkya means unbeatable, but cricket has shown me defeat many times. As cricketers, we fail more often than we succeed. My team has lost matches. I have made mistakes, but there is one place where I have never been defeated. And that was in your hearts. 278, signing off,” concluded RahaneThe 36-year-old has represented India in all three formats during his international career. He played 85 test matches, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is. Rahane, who made his international debut in 2011, was part of India’s historic Test series win in Australia in 2020-21, where he led the team as captain in Virat Kohli’s absence.
