Five reasons why Ajinkya Rahane should be a regular member of the ODI team

#4 He is more consistent than you may think

Rahane averages 34.37 in ODIs

The charge leveled at Rahane often is that he is not consistent enough to occupy a place in the Indian middle order. Though that allegation is made based on the fact that Rahane averages 34.37 in ODIs, his recent numbers suggest that it is difficult to overlook him.

In his last 15 ODI innings from January 2016 onwards, Rahane has scored six half-centuries and one century. During this period, he has scored 626 runs at an average of 41.73.

When compared to his other competitors for the no. 4 slot, Rahane’s numbers are exceptional. KL Rahul has only one century and one half-century from the 10 ODIs he has played so far, with both his high scores coming against Zimbabwe.

Kedar Jadhav’s superior average is due to the fact that he remained not out in several innings but he managed just 483 runs from 25 matches since January 2016. While Jadhav might still get the nod because of his all-round abilities, at number 4, Rahane’s numbers are good enough to earn him a place on the team.