“Let people talk, yaar about me. They have been talking about me for 20 years, let them talk”.
Before Sunday’s 2026 opener against the , captain Ajinkya Rahane last played a match in December 2025. There have been some murmurs around his future as a player. Yet, despite not having played for over three months, he made his return with a 40-ball 67 at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
“I am really happy, the way I am batting at the moment. I am not here to show anyone how talented I am or what is my game. People are watching. Let them watch. Let them talk. I’m just happy with how I’m batting. Over the last 2–3 years, I’ve worked on improving my T20 game.”
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“It’s about growing as a cricketer. Log baate karte rahenge. Let them talk,” Rahane said at the post-match presentation after the six-wicket loss to .
Emphasising how the game has increasingly tilted in favour of batters in recent years, especially in the IPL, Rahane said batting standards have risen sharply, with big totals now becoming routine and only a handful of bowlers consistently able to defend them.
“Batting standards have gone up, and big scores are now a regular feature in the IPL, with only a handful of bowlers consistently capable of defending them. For us, the focus is on developing our young quicks alongside experienced players like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, because it’s never easy for them to come in and perform against quality batting line-ups.”
“I was particularly pleased with Kartik Tyagi – coming back from injuries, he showed good control, especially with his slower balls and yorkers – but it’s important we don’t judge anyone based on just one game. And of course, someone like makes a huge difference; without him, we probably could have pushed closer to 230 or 240 on what was a very good batting wicket,” the 37-year-old said.
One of ’s key cogs, Varun Chakaravarthy, endured another difficult outing with the ball, going for 48 runs in his four overs. Rahane, however, backed the spinner to come good later in the tournament.
“Every player goes through phases like this. His attitude and work ethic are absolutely right. Maybe opposition batters are playing him better now. Moving from one high-intensity tournament to another is challenging for any cricketer, mentally.”
“He just needs to relax, probably switch off, not overthink results, and stay calm,” the 37-year-old added.
