Former India Test captain Ajinkya Rahane hit a century in a Karnataka State Cricket Association invitational tournament to gear up for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
Rahane hits fourth-innings ton
In the latest round of the Dr. (Capt) K. Thimmappiah Memorial Tournament, KSCA Secretary XI took on the Mumbai Cricket Association at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium from September 15. Among the several renowned names, Rahane had a decent outing with vital runs under his belt ahead of the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
After conceding a 100-run first-innings lead, KSCA Secretary XI piled on the runs, making 429 in their second innings, riding on Dhruv P’s unbeaten 159.
Chasing a huge fourth-innings target, Rahane led MCA’s response with a century. Together with Pranav Kela, he stitched a 142-run partnership. Upon reaching 103 not out off 140 balls (12 fours, 2 sixes), Rahane decided to retire out with Mumbai at 270-5. Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz’s younger brother, also chipped in with a run-a-ball 43. The match was drawn after bad light stopped play.
Arshdeep Singh etches his name in the record books 🇮🇳🔥#AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/TNQpbayfZW
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 19, 2025
How has Rahane’s performance been in recent years?
In recent years, Rahane was part of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy 2023-24 winning campaign. But he managed just 214 runs at an average of 17.83, including two fifties that season. This was followed by a three-match County Championship stint for Leicestershire, where his highlight was a 192-ball 102 against Glamorgan; he scored 202 runs at 33.66 during this spell.
The 2024-25 first-class season, however, has been a better outing for him. He has scored 573 runs at an average of 38.20, including a century and two fifties, in Mumbai's run to the semi-finals.
However, his most impressive showing came in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in which he led Mumbai to the title. With 469 runs at an average of 58.62 and a strike rate of 164.56, he finished as the tournament's highest run-scorer. That performance earned him a deal with IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, who named Rahane captain for the 2025 season. He finished as KKR's leading run-getter in their middling campaign. Rahane has not played any professional cricket since the conclusion of the tournament in June.
In August, he stepped down as Mumbai captain, and has since played in the K. Thimmappiah Memorial Tournament.
