Rahane's goal is still the Indian jersey

Even at the age of 36, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane has not given up his dream of playing for the national team again. On Friday, he made it clear that he still has a fire burning in his heart to play for the country again.

Rahane said, "I never give up. I want to play for the country again. I still have that hunger and interest. I am fully prepared in terms of fitness. Now I am just focusing on playing match by match, then we will see what happens in the future."

Rahane last played a Test in 2023. He had already been dropped from the national team in white-ball cricket. Still, he is keeping himself ready by playing regular domestic cricket. He said that he practices two to three times a day in the off-season, also pays attention to diet and recovery.

Rahane is mentally fit because he is enjoying his cricket. And in this situation, his main focus is on the IPL. He also expressed the team's confidence in vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer.

"He is waiting for a good innings. It is our responsibility to back a player like him. We have to see their hard work and not just the results," commented Rahane.

KKR will have to win the last four matches if they want to make it to the playoffs. At such a time, Rahane's message is, "Now we are taking each match as a final. The teams that have been eliminated have nothing to lose — they will play with an open mind. So we also have to go on the field with the best mentality that day."