"Can't wait to start" - Ajinkya Rahane shares a message in Bengali ahead of KKR's IPL 2022 opener vs CSK

Veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane made a heartfelt gesture by sharing a message for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fans in Bengali ahead of the season opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday.

Rahane, was acquired at the IPL 2022 mega auction last month. On the eve of the first match, the 33-year-old shared a video message for the fans.

Along with the video on Instagram, Ajinkya Rahane wrote:

"আমি তৈরী 😊 আশা করছি আপনারাও। আমি excited আপনাদের প্রিয় Kolkata Knight Rider এর পরিবারের সাথেয জুড়ে। এবার হবে খেলা শুরু। Cheers to all KKR fans! (I am ready. I hope you are too. I am excited to join the Kolkata Knight Rider family. Let the game begin. Cheers to all KKR fans!)"

Rahane, who represented the Delhi Capitals last season, was not retained ahead of the mega auction. He was then signed by the Kolkata franchise at a reserve price of ₹1 crore.

The cricketer from Mumbai has been a part of the IPL since 2008. However, he largely warmed up the benches last season and played just two games. The India international is expected to open the innings for KKR alongside Venkatesh Iyer.

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"He’s got at least 5 to 10 years of international cricket left in him" - KKR mentor David Hussey on Ajinkya Rahane

Former Australian cricketer Hussey has rubbished concerns over Rahane's slump in form, saying that the veteran still has five years of international cricket left in him.

Hussey also highlighted Ajinkya Rahane's calming influence over the youngsters in the side. Speaking at a virtual press conference, the 44-year-old said:

“Rahane is a class player. He’s been a class player for over a decade for Indian cricket; he’s dominated for the Rajasthan Royals. I think he’s got at least 5 to 10 years of international cricket left in him."

Hussey then went onto add:

"He’s a class player. He might not have scored the runs he wants to recently, but the way he is training and the way he works on his game, he’s going to score his runs, he’s going to dominate in the IPL. But also, he’s a leader amongst the group as well. So not just on-field performances, but off-field, helping all the youngsters sort of gel. He’s just a quality human being and I am happy that he’s part of our team,” he said in KKR’s pre-season press conference."

Overall, Ajinkya Rahane has played 151 IPL matches, scoring 3941 runs at an average of 31.52, including two centuries.