IPL 2020 Trade Window: Delhi Capitals in talks with Rajasthan Royals to sign Ajinkya Rahane

What's the story?

Rajasthan Royals' opening batsman Ajinkya Rahane may join the Delhi Capitals franchise in the IPL 2020 trade window, as per reports. The right-handed batsman has represented the Jaipur-based franchise in 7 IPL seasons. However, their association may come to an end soon.

The background...

Ajinkya Rahane kicked off his IPL career as a part of the Mumbai Indians team in 2008. He stayed with his home franchise for 3 years before the team management released him. This is when Rajasthan Royals acquired his services and Rahane got an opportunity to make his mark.

The Maharashtra-born batsman slammed 2,810 runs for Rajasthan in 7 seasons, with his best season coming in the year 2012. In the 2019 edition of VIVO IPL, Rahane managed to register his best ever IPL score of 105* while donning the Rajasthan jersey. But, he could not lead his team well and his consistency was a major issue.

The heart of the matter...

A source close to IANS revealed that,

"Yes, DC is trying to get Rahane onboard, but too early to say if the deal will see the light of the day. A lot of things need to be taken care of before the dotted line is signed. RR's take on the whole issue can also not be discounted since he has been a huge ambassador for them. But yes, talks are on."

Delhi Capitals had bought Shikhar Dhawan in last year's trade window, and it is likely that they may be successful in completing yet another high profile deal in the trade window this year.

The Delhi-based franchise already has a strong Indian contingent with the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra and Ishant Sharma in their camp.

What's next?

Given that Delhi Capitals had faltered in the playoff stages of the IPL last year, a big player like Rahane could bring in some much-needed experience and temperament to the side.