"He said, 'I'll wait for my turn'" - Mohammad Kaif pays tribute to team man Ajinkya Rahane

Former Delhi Capitals (DC) assistant coach Mohammad Kaif has lavished high praise on senior Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane, terming him a "team man" and a "big player."

Kaif got a chance to work with the former Indian Test vice-captain during his stint with the Delhi franchise from 2019 to 2021. Rahane was with the IPL team for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. However, he got very limited opportunities to represent the franchise. While he played nine matches in 2020, he only featured in a couple of games in 2021.

Sharing his admiration for Rahane over not letting his personal disappointment affect the team environment, Kaif said on SK Tales:

“One thing I really admire about Rahane is that he didn’t want to spoil the team environment even though personally he was a bit disappointed at not getting chances. There were a lot of questions in his mind, but he kept it to himself and believed that the captain and team management knew what is best for the team. He didn’t want to put any doubt in anyone’s mind.”

Rahane had a tough time warming the benches at DC, particularly considering the fact that he was earlier leading the Rajasthan franchise. Admitting that Rahane was a bit frustrated because he had to constantly sit out, Kaif revealed:

“I remember he admitted to me that he was a bit frustrated, but he said, ‘I’ll wait for my turn and perform well when the chance comes my way. I am a team man. Yes, there are a lot of questions in my mind, but I will not disturb the team environment’. This shows how big and good a player he is.”

The 33-year-old was released by Delhi ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. He was purchased by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for his base price of ₹1 crore. The right-hander made an impressive debut for his new franchise, scoring 44 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

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Rahane’s second name is discipline: Mohammad Kaif

Revealing more details about Rahane, Kaif said that apart from being a complete team man, the batter is a highly disciplined and organized cricketer. He elaborated:

“Rahane’s second name is discipline. Being on time, finishing the gym session in the morning, having breakfast on time - he is a proper organized player, which every big player is. In my opinion, Rahane is a very big player. Look at his Test match record, his ODI stats. Even in the IPL, he has scored two hundreds and notched up 4000 runs.”

Describing him as a very settled and composed personality, Kaif shed further light on Rahane's dedication as a senior cricketer. He revealed:

“He is the first person to enter the bus but the last person to leave the ground. He dedicates extra time to batting and bowling during practice. Sharing his experience with youngsters is another very good quality I have seen in Rahane. He spent time with Prithvi Shaw and also talked a lot to Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and even Rishabh Pant.”

The 41-year-old added that despite not getting to play many games for Delhi, the experienced cricketer’s motivation and involvement were always there. He recalled:

“Unfortunately, he couldn’t find a place in the playing XI. But he carried drinks, went in with gloves and bat when batters needed them, fielded as a substitute. He is a total team man. That is why everyone likes him.”

Rahane was dismissed for 9 in KKR’s second IPL 2022 match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Wednesday. Kolkata were bowled out for 128 after being sent into bat.