Ajinkya Rahane, the well-known Indian cricketer, announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket. Taking to his Instagram handle on Thursday, July 30, 2026, the sportsperson shared a video announcing his retirement, highlighting it’s time he ‘moves on’.
In the caption, he wrote, “Cap 278 signing off. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. Forever grateful.”
In the video, Ajinkya reflected on moving on and the right time, saying, “The reality of life is that everything has a beginning and everything has an end. When the time comes, you simply have to respect it and move forward. I have always relied on timing in my batting, and I have always understood its importance. Today, I feel the timing is right for me to move on and announce my retirement from International cricket and all formats.”
Recalling the days when he used to travel long distances for practice, the cricketer said, From those early days, traveling from Dombivli as a young boy just to practice, I gave this game everything I had. Every single day, every innings, every opportunity I got to bat, the dream was always to wear the India cap.”
Sharing his one big rule he followed, Ajinkya quoted, “I live by one simple rule: always put my country and my team ahead of myself. I played this game with complete honesty, and I have always believed that if your intent is right, the game will always take care of you.”
Feeling proud to be a part of the Indian cricket team, the cricketer said, “Since the time I made my debut as a first-class cricketer, Indian cricket has grown tremendously, and I feel so proud to have been a part of it over the last 20 years. While my chapter as an Indian cricketer comes to an end, my journey with the game doesn’t. I look forward to helping the next generation, sharing the values this sport has taught me, and giving back to the game that has given me everything.”
Talking about his journey, he added, “From starting as a young player in India to playing for India, it has been an absolute honor. There have been many wins and losses along the way, but the sheer joy of playing cricket, playing in different teams and creating lifelong memories has been the greatest satisfaction of my career.”
Expressing his gratitude and thanking all, he said, “To the BCCI, the MCA, my teammates, my coaches, every IPL franchise, to Radhika, my entire family, my friends and everyone who stood by me, thank you. And a very special thank you to all the cricket fans who supported me through every high and low. Ajinkya means unbeatable, but cricket has shown me defeat many times. As cricketers, we fail more often than we succeed. My team has lost matches, I have made mistakes, but there is one place where I was never defeated, and that was in your hearts.”
Getting emotional and teary-eyed, Ajinkya ended his note saying, “You always treated me like your own. Thank you for your love, your faith and your support. Cap no. 278 signing off.”
The cricketer had a great career with an impressive statistical record across all three formats in the international arena:
-Test Cricket: 85 matches, 5,077 runs, a 38.46 average, and 12 centuries.
-One-Day Internationals (ODIs): 90 matches, 2,962 runs, and 3 centuries.
-T20 Internationals (T20Is): 20 matches and 375 runs.
