Man On The Rise Ajinkya Rahane

Oprah Winfrey once said, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” When you look at Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, he reflects the same power when he focuses on the ground and it’s his passion that has made him come a long way in the gentleman’s game. Ajinkya’s success story is incomplete without his family and he affirms, “Life is pretty empty without the presence of an immediate family. Regardless of any success on the field, the truest moment of satisfaction always comes after spending time with family.” Today he feels content with everything he has achieved and believes that it is all about mental toughness, the ability to deal with unknown adversities, and perseverance that helps one make a mark in the highest level of the sport. In a detailed conversation with TMM, the cover man talks about his life journey where there is zero scope for any regret.

Your mom and dad have played a key role in your success story. What kind of bond do you share with them and take us through the early days?

My parents played an extremely instrumental role in shaping my early cricketing years. Our financial condition wasn’t the best, to the extent that we could barely afford a rickshaw ride for my cricket coaching. I still recall my mother carrying my kitbag in one arm and my other brother in the other as she walked me to my training ground that was around 6-8 kilometers away from our place.

After some persuasion from my side, my mother used to take a rickshaw once a week. Back then, I wasn’t really old enough to truly understand the reason behind such incidents. But, once I grew older, I realized that I couldn’t be more indebted and grateful to my parents for their invaluable contributions in building my career and life as a whole.

You have had a fantastic career on the ground till date. What keeps you calm and composed after seeing so much success?

Following the Vedanta philosophy pretty closely has helped me prioritize the more important aspects and things in life from the lesser important ones. Of course, it is always nice to relish the temporary gratifications once you attain some degree of success.

But, to consistently keep on doing the right thing requires composure and discipline, which are traits that have stayed on with me for a long time thereafter. Also, my father always stressed being remembered for more as a good human being than a successful cricketer. I think it is also correlated. Cricket comprises so much of a professional’s life that leading a good, measured lifestyle is essential for success on the ground too.