IPL 2022 Auction: 3 reasons why Ajinkya Rahane might not be picked by any franchises

Ajinkya Rahane played just two matches for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL in 2021 and nine matches the previous season. This has put his IPL 2022 auction hopes in jeopardy.

Over the years, Rahane has become somewhat of a fading star in the marquee tournament. His last IPL 50 was in 2020 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was followed by a string of low scores and bench time, thereby hinting at a hard truth. Rahane might not be picked by any of the franchises in the IPL 2022 auction.

This, of course, could be a stretch. Cheteshwar Pujara, a Test specialist, found himself part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp last season but didn't play a single game. The last time he padded up was in 2014.

So we look at three reasons why he might not find a new franchise this season.

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#1 Ajinkya Rahane's current form in the IPL

Rahane's last eight IPL innings have scores of 2, 8, 0, 26, 60, 0, 2, and 8. These low scores are a primary reason why despite the fluency and solid technique, it is a non-starter.

The lack of runs will be considered a crucial factor. However, a look at his Syed Mushtaq Ali Tropgy 2021 outings will perhaps work in his favor. He notched up 286 runs from five games at an average of 57.20 and a strike rate of 133.64. Whether this is enough to catapult himself into a new squad remains to be seen.

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#2 Torrid Test run may impact his IPL 2022 auction

Ajinkya Rahane's Test performances haven't been impressive of late and that might be one of the reasons why he will be overlooked. One might argue that the shorter format may not have anything to do with the IPL 2022 auction. But franchisees tend to look at a player's performance across the formats.

Test scores that are off the charts signify that a player has strong technique and basics. This a requisite to succeed in the shorter format of the game, and unfortunately for the Mumbai batter, a lot depends on his SA tour.

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#3 Immense competition

The IPL 2022 will surely see more players in the mix, new and old, who will attempt to make a mark with bat or ball. Rahane will find himself surrounded by immense competition and that might make his chances of being picked in the IPL 2022 auction a lot more difficult.

Much of this reasoning is conjecture, of course, and doesn't mean Rahane will not play the IPL 2022. He was the batting mainstay for the Rajasthan Royals in the initial few seasons, and only time will tell if he's still got that spark.