THE MODERN WALL

Ajinkya Rahane’s meteoric rise is a testament to his multifaceted personality because at heart he’s simple and fun-loving. And, a hustler. He opens up about his career, personal life, his love for music and Wada Pav

- SAMREEN KHOJA

IT IS A SUN-SOAKED DAY IN PUNE AND AJINKYA Rahane walks in on set dressed in sweatpants. Introvert by his own admission, Ajinkya greets me with a wide smile. To be honest, Ajinkya’s flamboyant colleagues have enjoyed more attention, but he is unaffected.

With his love for the sport, he has quietly become one of Indian cricket’s biggest stars. As I sat on set sipping a cup of cappuccino and munching on cookies with Ajinkya, I started to think about how well we know of Ajinkya on the field, his records and his achievements. So why don’t we get to know the man sans his team colours, sans his bat, sans the cricket ball and away from the floodlights.

“I started playing cricket when I was a teenager and I fell in love with the sport. My biggest dream was to play for my country and that will be my biggest achievement,” he tells me. “I am here because of my parents. My family has sacrificed a lot for me so it was my dream to do something for them. My father would drop me to Dombivili station and follow me through another compartment behind me to make sure that I could travel safely. I remember my mom used to walk 6-7kms with the cricket kit on her shoulder because we couldn’t afford rickshaw rides. I remember and am grateful for all the sacrifices they have made for me,” added Ajinkya.