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Ajinkya Rahane recently arrived in Chennai to join the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad for their training camp ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
The Chennai-based franchise shared a video on their social media handles on Thursday, March 2, welcoming the senior Indian batter. Here's how CSK captioned the post.
"Cue in the whistles for Ajju! 🥳"
Notably, CSK are expected to kick off their preparations for IPL 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, March 3. Several of the team's players, including skipper MS Dhoni, have reached Chennai for the preparatory camp.
Ajinkya Rahane was roped in by CSK for ₹50 lakh at IPL 2023 auction
Ajinkya Rahane was with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the previous edition of the cash-rich league. However, the veteran batter had a forgettable season, aggregating only 133 runs from seven outings at a strike rate of 103.90.
He was released by the Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction. He was sold to CSK at a base price of ₹50 lakh at the event. The 34-year-old is one of the most experienced Indian batters in the tournament, having featured in 158 matches.
Rahane has 4074 runs to his name in the competition at an average of 30.9. He has hit two centuries, along with 28 fifties so far in the tournament.
The last IPL season proved to be a topsy-turvy one for CSK. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was appointed as their new captain ahead of the season.
However, he relinquished the position in the middle of the tournament, and MS Dhoni once again took over the captaincy reins. Having managed just four wins from 14 league matches, the four-time champions finished in the penultimate position.
The inclusions of Rahane and Ben Stokes have further strengthened their side. Dhoni and Co. will open their IPL 2023 campaign with their clash against defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 31.
