Ajinkya Rahane Signs for Leicestershire County Season

Ajinkya Rahane Signs with Leicestershire for County Season

Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane has signed a deal to play for Leicestershire in the second half of the county season. The 36-year-old will be available for the club's One-Day Cup campaign and five County Championship matches.

Rahane had initially agreed to join Leicestershire last summer but was recalled to India's Test team for the World Test Championship final. He subsequently toured the West Indies with the Test squad and did not play for the county in 2023.

"We are thrilled to welcome someone of Ajinkya's quality to Leicestershire," said Claude Henderson, the club's director of cricket. "It was unfortunate that his schedule didn't work out last year, but it's a massive boost to have him for the business end of this season."

Rahane has a wealth of experience, having played 82 Tests, 90 ODIs, and 20 T20Is for India. He has scored over 13,000 runs in first-class cricket, including 41 centuries, and another 6,475 runs in List A matches.

His arrival in mid-July will coincide with the expected departure of South African allrounder Wiaan Mulder for international duty. Rahane is expected to strengthen Leicestershire's defense of the One-Day Cup, which they won last September.

"I'm really excited to have another opportunity to come to Leicestershire," said Rahane. "I've built a strong rapport with Claude and Alfonso [Thomas, head coach], and I'm looking forward to playing for the club this summer."

Rahane's signing is a significant boost for Leicestershire, who are currently third in Division Two of the County Championship. His experience and leadership qualities will be invaluable to the team, and his batting prowess will provide a much-needed boost to their lineup.

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