Newly-appointed Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane is not an average cricketer. We bet very few must be acquainted with the fact that Rahane is a black belt-holder in judo. Maharashtra-born Rahane has been a part of the Rajasthan Royals franchise since its inception and was instrumental in the Royals’ triumph in the inaugural season of IPL. In those days, Royals was led and mentored by Shane Warne and the team comprised of legends like Rahul Dravid and Shane Watson.
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This year it will be a different ball game for Ajinkya Rahane as the Royals team is coming out of a two-year suspension. The hopes will be high on the team. But even before the IPL was supposed to kick off, original Royals captain Steve Smith was replaced following the ball-tampering saga that took place not so long ago.
ON JUDO
“I was the youngest in the judo class”, Rahane said and that meant he had to make a statement with his actions, “not with my words”! For his exam, he had to break fifty bricks and had fifty men jump on his stomach (one at a time obviously!). “It made me tough,” he says and he learnt to show his aggression with his deeds. It is an approach that will appeal to his new coach!
Current Status: Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan Royals will take on Delhi Daredevils today in their second IPL clash. Both the teams will look to open their account as both lost their last encounter. In the absence of Steve Smith, Rahane will have to stand up and deliver if Royals pose a threat to Daredevils, who did not have a bad first match by any stretch of the imagination. The match will start at 8:00 PM IST. You can live stream the match on Hotstar.
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