"Became a bit more timid" - Shane Watson on how Ajinkya Rahane's game changed after India debut

Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson recently stated that Ajinkya Rahane played with a lot of intent when he was first roped in by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

He mentioned that Rahane would want to up the ante right from the start. Watson noted that there was a shift in the opening batter's approach once he was added to the Indian team.

The cricketer-turned-coach claimed that Rahane's focus was more on accumulating runs than dominating the bowlers at that stage.

Watson, however, pointed out that the batter, with his stint with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has shown that he still has the ability to excel in T20 cricket.

Speaking on the YouTube channel 'The Grade Cricketer', Watson explained:

"He played with me at Rajasthan Royals. When he first started playing, he dominated. He opened the batting and he used to take bowlers down. Then within a year or two, he got into the Indian setup and became a bit more timid."

He added:

"It was more around just scoring runs instead of just taking bowlers down. We have just seen exactly the T20 skills that he has got since he moved to CSK."

Notably, Rahane reinvented his game in IPL 2023. He has played some delightful knocks for CSK and has received appreciation from all quarters for his dynamic batting.

The seasoned batter has aggregated 205 runs from five games, including two half-centuries, and has a stunning strike rate of 199.05 to his name.

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"Hopefully, he can bat with that freedom in Test cricket": Shane Watson on Ajinkya Rahane's selection for the WTC 2023 final

With Shreyas Iyer still recovering from a back injury, the Indian selectors turned towards Ajinkya Rahane for the vacant spot in the middle order for the all-important World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Watson emphasized that Rahane's performances in the IPL improved significantly because he was allowed to play with a lot of freedom by CSK.

He suggested that the batter should play with the same positive approach in the WTC 2023 final against Australia as well, adding:

"He [Ajinkya Rahane] struggled to get a team over the last six to eight years consistently because he just lost that freedom. Then you see what he has done for CSK, it's absolutely incredible. That's what happens when you sort of hold yourself back."

The former all-rounder continued:

"Then, when you get your own way around the mental side of the game and just be free and take the game on, then you really show your true skill. He has been picked, and hopefully, he can bat with that freedom in Test cricket."

After being out of the Indian Test team for 18 months, Ajinkya Rahane made a comeback, thanks to an impressive domestic season and his explosive knocks in IPL 2023.

He mustered 634 runs from 11 innings in the latest edition of the Ranji Trophy, finishing as the highest run-getter for Mumbai.