IPL Auction 2022: 5 teams that should sign Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane will be one of the key Indian players to go under the hammer during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auction in Bengaluru.

Building a strong domestic core is critical to a team’s success in the league and Rahane can be an asset for any team that picks him.

After a couple of uneventful seasons with the Delhi Capitals, the 33-year-old will be eager to turn his IPL career around.

Rahane, who has a base price of Rs 1 crore, brings several qualities to the table for a number of squads. Let us explore five such teams in this article.

Who should target Ajinkya Rahane in the IPL auction?

1. Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad will be eyeing a total squad revamp in the auction and will have to address concerns that have hampered their progress in recent times.

Despite a terrific international core, Hyderabad has been very light on the domestic batting front in the last couple of years. None of their Indian batters stood up to take responsibility in the preceding seasons.

Rahane thrives on added responsibility and will be a perfect partner for Kane Williamson at the top. Once settled in the opening position, the former Rajasthan Royals skipper can very well deliver a 400+ runs season that can help turn the Sunrisers’ fortunes around.

Rahane is a reliable figure to have in your ranks, especially at the top of the order. He can take on pacers with ease in the powerplay overs and has the potential to convert good starts into big scores.

These are traits that Hyderabad lacked sorely and could possibly address them for a reasonable amount by roping in Rahane in the upcoming auction.

2. Punjab Kings

With KL Rahul’s departure, Punjab Kings are staring at a gaping hole at the top of the batting order. Moreover, they haven’t explicitly declared their captaincy pick yet and Ajinkya Rahane tends to fulfill both these criteria.

Punjab haven’t been a stable franchise over the years and require a personality that can steady their ship during the long season.

With his calm demeanor and terrific leadership credentials, Rahane offers just that. He has been at the helm of some of India’s most iconic Test victories since 2017. Further, he is definitely someone who can be trusted to take up the mantle for a team that is desperate to get things back on track.

Rahane would also be an ideal opening partner for Mayank Agarwal. The Karnataka-based opener acts as an enforcer and can take the opposition’s bowling apart right from the onset. Rahane can bide his time and look to capitalize on his good starts and also play the anchor for the side in the long run.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR can look at Rahane as a potential captaincy pick

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are in need of a captain and also an opener following Shubman Gill’s departure. Rahane brings both these attributes to the table and hence could be someone who is on KKR’s radar in the auction.

Throughout the years, Rahane has thrived while playing against pacers and on pitches that provide some assistance to quicker bowlers.

He is a batsman who likes the ball coming on to the bat and plays expansive shots to yield runs out of such deliveries.

Even in the recent series vs South Africa, Rahane looked in fine touch on quite a few occasions.

He scored runs through some outrageous strokes during the half-century in Johannesburg. Thus, the limited-overs format can give him the license to get in the groove and regain his mojo.

Moreover, his leadership will greatly benefit KKR, who have a mix of good young talent and some experienced stars in their ranks. In search of their third IPL title, the team can get a shrewd captain and a very fine opener in Rahane.

4. Lucknow Super Giants

The RPSG Group is familiar with Rahane due to his stint with their Pune franchise

Trust and reliance are key elements upon which successful franchises build their legacy.

The likes of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) have formed their squads with players who share mutual respect with the management.

Rahane has been associated with the RPSG group in the past and had two fruitful seasons for the erstwhile Rising Pune Super Giant.

As of now, there is a dearth of quality domestic middle-order batsmen in the cricketing circuit. Hence, accommodating Indian batsmen at the top gives the teams room to bolster their lineup with international players in the middle.

Rahane can very well partner with KL Rahul at the top for Lucknow. The two of them are capable of shifting gears and adapting to different playing methods according to the demands of the situation. Going with Rahane in the opening spot could allow the new franchise to experiment well with other spots in the side.

5. Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s re-emergence in the last two years was sparked by the introduction of Devdutt Padikkal to the setup. However, they arguably risk losing Padikkal for a big sum to some of the other sides in the next auction.

They need a captain after Virat Kohli stepped down from the role and Rahane ticks all the necessary boxes over here.

Kohli and Rahane have worked in tandem with tremendous success over the years, with the latter serving as the former’s deputy in the longest format.

They share a brilliant camaraderie and that factor will make the captaincy transition much smoother for the RCB.

Further, Rahane will relish playing at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and can slot seamlessly into the opening position as well. He has the caliber to lead star players like Kohli and Maxwell and build a team that can finally lift the title in the future.

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