“He Didn’t Tell Me Until Years Later”: Ajinkya Rahane Shares Emotional Story Of Motivation Behind Cricket

It is often said that the true story of sport is not what unfolds under the floodlights or on television screens, but the countless sacrifices, struggles and quiet moments that shape an athlete’s journey. Cricket is no different, with every success built on years of hard work, perseverance and unwavering support from family.

Recently, Ajinkya Rahane, one of India’s most dependable Test cricketers and the man who shouldered the team’s leadership during the transition between the Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma eras, brought the curtain down on his international career.

During a conversation with BBC Sport broadcaster Amber Sandhu on the sidelines of The Hundred, Rahane once again reflected on the sacrifices his parents made to help him pursue his cricketing dreams. Recalling one of his earliest memories, Rahane spoke about the sacrifices his father made to help him pursue cricket.

“When I was seven years old, I started travelling by Mumbai’s local trains. On the first day, my father came and dropped me. He had to take leave from work, and he didn’t get paid for that day,” Rahane recalled.

However, his father insisted that he travel alone from the next day, despite his young age. “He told me, You’ll have to travel alone by local train. I was just seven, carrying my own cricket kit bag in those packed early morning local trains,” he said.

Years later, Rahane discovered that his father had never truly left him on his own.
“Five or six years later, he told me that on that very day, he was following me from another compartment just to make sure I reached the station safely. That actually hit me hard,” Rahane revealed.

The revelation became a turning point in his life and shaped his motivation as a cricketer. “That’s when I decided that whatever I do from then on, whether I play for my state or for my country, I’ll do it for my parents. That motivation, that inspiration, always kept me going,” he added.