India, July 30 -- Ajinkya Rahane, the former mainstay of the Indian Test batting order, has announced his retirement from all formats of cricket. Rahane, 38, last played competitive cricket during the 2026 Indian Premier League, where he scored 335 runs from 14 matches, leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Even though the veteran batter recently expressed his desire to return to the Indian team, he eventually pulled the plug on a decorated career spanning 17 years (including the IPL).

Rahane made his international debut for India in 2011 during a T20I against England, scoring an impressive 69 off 31 balls while opening the innings. His ODI debut followed a few days later - Rahul Dravid's white-ball farewell - in Durham, where Rahane ...