Sunil Gavaskar calls Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy underrated

As tributes continue to pour in following Ajinkya Rahane's retirement from all forms of cricket, his legacy as captain during one of India's most celebrated overseas victories is being highlighted. Batting legend and former captain Sunil Gavaskar, writing in a column published on August 4, 2026, declared Rahane one of the country's most underrated leaders, comparing his tenure to that of another under-appreciated captain, Rahul Dravid. Rahane had formally concluded his nearly two-decade-long career in an emotional announcement on July 30, 2026.

Gavaskar focused his praise on Rahane's stewardship during India's 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in Australia, a series widely regarded as a historic achievement. Following a devastating 36 all-out collapse in the first Test in Adelaide and with regular captain Virat Kohli returning home, Rahane took charge of a squad also grappling with pandemic-related restrictions. He led from the front with a century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to level the series and then guided an injury-ravaged team to an unprecedented victory at Brisbane's Gabba, a venue where Australia had not lost for 32 years. The Board of Control for Cricket in...