Ajinkya Rahane set to to play for English County, Leicestershire

English county team Leicestershire have acquired the services of former Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane will join Leicestershire in the second half of the ongoing season and will play the team’s last five games of the ongoing County Championship, apart from playing in the One Day Cup.

Rahane will replace South African Wiaan Mulder, who is expected to be a part of the South African national team for their tour of the West Indies.

The 36-year-old former Indian captain has scored more than 26,000 runs in international and domestic cricket, across formats, and has scored 51 hundreds. Rahane’s rich experience is expected to hold Leicestershire in good stead.

Rahane will join Leicestershire in July and will play his team’s first game against Notts Outlaws in the One Day Cup on July 24.

Leicestershire, nicknamed the Foxes, are the defending champions of the One Day Cup.

Leicestershire’s Director of Cricket, Claude Henderson, said they are happy to have the services of Rahane, as his experience and leadership qualities will be beneficial to the team. “We are thrilled to welcome someone of Ajinkya’s quality to Leicestershire. It was unfortunate that Ajinkya’s schedule didn’t quite work with ours last year. But, it’s a massive boost to have secured his services for the business end of this season. He holds immense experience and vital leadership qualities, which will be hugely beneficial to the team alongside his run-scoring ability. Ajinkya’s arrival also presents a fantastic opportunity for our batters to learn from one of the game’s best,” Henderson said in a club statement.

Rahane, who plays for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, said he is looking forward to playing for Leicestershire and added that he followed the team’s progress over the last season. “I am really excited to have another opportunity to come to Leicestershire. I’ve built a strong rapport with Claude (Henderson) and Alfonso (Thomas), and I’m looking forward to playing for the club this summer. I followed the team’s results last year and was very impressed with what I saw. I’m hoping to enjoy my cricket and contribute to more success for the club this season,” Rahane said, in a club statement.