Ajinkya Rahane hits his 40th first-class ton with 102-run knock for Leicestershire against Glamorgan in County Championship Division Two 2024

Veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane shone with the bat for Leicestershire in the team's ongoing County Championship Division Two fixture against Glamorgan. The 36-year-old notched up a fine century in Leicestershire's second innings.

The seasoned campaigner crossed the 100-run mark on Day 4. Rahane reached his ton with back-to-back fours against Kiran Carlson in the 70th over. This was his maiden hundred for Leicestershire and 40th first-class ton.

Rahane got off to a start in Leicestershire's first innings. However, he failed to convert it into a big score, perishing after a 42-run knock. He made amends in the subsequent essay, slamming an impressive century.

He walked out when Leicestershire were reeling at 74/3 and did a commendable job, stitching together a 183-run partnership with Peter Handscomb The former India Test vice-captain was dismissed for 102 by Kiran Carlson in the 74th over.

It is worth mentioning that Ajinkya Rahane also plied his trade for Leicestershire in the latest edition of the One Day Cup. His campaign began with a 71-run knock from 60 balls against Nottinghamshire. He hit four half-centuries in the tournament, finishing with 378 runs from 10 outings at an average of 42.

Leicestershire failed to make it to the final of the One Day Cup. The side suffered a heartbreaking 23-run defeat to Somerset in the semi-final. Rahane failed to make a significant impact in the knockout clash, scoring just three runs.

Ajinkya Rahane returned to India's Test team for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia last year. He was the top performer with the bat for the Men in Blue in the encounter, registering scores of 89 and 46.

He was reinstated as India's Test vice-captain for the two-match Test series against West Indies in July 2023. However, he was dropped from the team following scores of 3 and 8 on the tour.

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"They possess the quality"- Dinesh Karthik names batters who can be ideal replacements for Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in India's Test team

Dinesh Karthik recently suggested that Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan could be the ideal replacements for Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in India's Test team.

For many years, Rahane and Pujara were India's middle-order lynchpins in red-ball cricket. With the two batters no longer in the reckoning of national selectors, Karthik opined that Gill and Sarfaraz could emerge as pivotal cogs in India's Test team,

In a video shared by Cricbuzz, Karthik said:

"Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan—both of these batters have excelled against England in the recent home series. I anticipate both will be selected for the Australia tour and will aim to perform at their best. It remains to be seen if they can fill the significant shoes of Ajinkya and Pujara, but they possess the quality and caliber to succeed."

Team India are set to compete against Bangladesh in a two-match home Test series later this month. The first Test will be played in Chennai from September 19.