I am ready to bat at any position in ODI cricket, says Ajinkya Rahane

Indian Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane believes that he is ready to bat at any position that the team wants him to in ODI cricket. The Mumbai batsman also believes that he has all the attributes required to adapt to the demands of different formats of the game.

Ajinkya Rahane has not played for India in ODIs since February 2018, missing out on a place in the 2019 World Cup squad too. However, he feels that he is ready to take on the challenge, whether it is opening the batting or batting at the number four position.

"I am ready to bat at any position in ODI cricket, whether opening or No. 4 or whatever, I am ready. My instinct answers yes, I want to make a comeback in ODI cricket. But when the opportunity will come, we don't know. Mentally I am preparing to play all the formats. It is all about being positive yourself and about your abilities. "I have enjoyed opening the innings, but I don't mind batting at number 4 if I am asked to. I have enjoyed both roles," Ajinkya Rahane told Deep Dasgupta on an ESPNCricinfo chat show.

If you are sure of your shots, you should back them: Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane is aware of the fact that he is not one of those players who can depend on brute force and muscle the ball to the boundary. He realises that he has limited shots in his book, and he relies on timing more than strength.

Ajinkya Rahane recalled a lesson that he learnt from Rahul Dravid. According to him, it is important to score runs, and it did not matter how those runs came.

"I think if you are sure of your shots, you should back them. If I am playing 18 overs, I aim to see how I can get my strike rate to 150-160. Sometimes the shots you play in T20s don't look good. But Rahul bhai told me not to bother about what the shots look like, whether it's bad or looks bad from outside. He said it does not matter. He said in T20 cricket, one needs to watch the ball and hit it," Ajinkya Rahane asserted.

Shreyas Iyer has impressed everyone with his performances at number four off late, and India have a settled opening pair in Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. However, with KL Rahul's new role as a wicketkeeper-batsman at number five, Ajinkya Rahane might well be eyeing the spot of a reserve opener in case one of the openers gets injured or shows poor form.