Ajinkya Rahane has been honest about not getting enough chances in India’s limited overs team but said he doesn’t put too much pressure thinking about the No 4 slot which is up for grabs ahead of the ODI World Cup.
It is highly unlikely that he will be India’s number four at the World Cup but India’s Test vice-captain is keen to add on to his 90 ODIs.
“I have never had complaints about my batting order and have performed anywhere I have batted. I don’t want to put any pressure on myself by thinking about the No 4 spot in the Indian team. I understand that batting order depends on lot of things. For India, I am ready to bat at any position,” Rahane said during a press conference.
The Rajasthan Royals skipper is happy that Steve Smith is back in the fold after missing out last year while serving a ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal. The Indian hopes to pick the Australian’s brains on tactical matters.
“It’s good to have him back as a Rajasthan Royals player. He is a quality player and it’s always good to have him in your team. Also to pick his mind will be very important. We all know his ability to win matches,” Rahane said of former Australian captain.
He also urged media to go slow on new batting sensation Ashton Turner, who single-handedly won a recent ODI against India.
“Turner is a good addition to the team but media makes a hero of anyone in a single day but dumps him the next day. He has shown his ability on Indian wickets which shows he can adapt to conditions.”
The Royals play their first match of this season on Monday against Kings XI Punjab.
With PTI inputs