Ajinkya Rahane reveals Sachin Tendulkar’s call after announcing international retirement

Ajinkya Rahane said he received a phone call from Sachin Tendulkar after announcing his retirement from international cricket in a video shared on social media on Thursday, July 30. Rahane revealed the message while speaking about his decision to step away from international play.

Rahane’s international career covered 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is, and the report noted he began his journey on Mumbai’s cricketing grounds and produced several memorable moments for India. The piece described him as perhaps best remembered for his leadership during India’s historic Test series triumph in Australia. It said the 37-year-old felt the time had come to draw the line on his international journey and that, speaking to the Indian Express as a 38-year-old, he related Tendulkar was the first to call.

Rahane recounted the call and messages he received from former teammates and opponents, saying: "The first call came from Sachin (Tendulkar) paaji, who said he thought I would play for longer. I told him I didn’t want to drag on because I was retiring without any regrets. Irfan Pathan also called, while Pujara, Virat, Rohit and Bumrah all messaged me. I told everyone the same thing: I was satisfied because I had given everything to the game," said Rahane.

On the emotional impact of recording his retirement announcement, Rahane said: "After recording the video, I cried a lot. I was emotional while discussing retirement with my family, but I didn’t expect the recording itself to affect me so much. The reality hit that I would no longer do something I had loved for years. That thought stayed with me throughout the recording," said Rahane.

Rahane has indicated he will continue playing domestically by joining the inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).