Ajinkya Rahane Urges India to Respect Senior Players, Says Test Cricket Needs Experienced Core

Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane has stressed the importance of retaining experienced players in the Test team, saying senior cricketers deserve greater respect and remain vital for the format’s future.

Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Rahane said an ideal Test squad should feature a strong core of experienced players complemented by a handful of youngsters, rather than relying heavily on an inexperienced group.

“I still feel Test cricket needs 7-8 senior players and 2-3 younger players. What we are seeing now is that all the players are actually new. There’s hardly any senior cricketer left. So, Test cricket needs that,” Rahane said.

India’s Test setup has undergone a major transition following the exits of several experienced players, including R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane.

Rahane concerned about Test cricket’s future

Rahane believes the game’s longest format depends on experienced cricketers who can guide younger teammates. He suggested that India has struggled in recent years partly because several senior players left the setup in a short span.

“Frankly, yes I do (fear for Test cricket). Because the way it is going, we all want Test cricket to survive. You need to keep and respect the senior players, especially with the Indian team—all the senior players going out together at once, that’s been the issue,” Rahane added.

India endured disappointing Test campaigns recently, including a home series whitewash and inconsistent overseas performances, prompting discussions over the team’s transition and leadership.

Rahane reflects on India’s transition

Rahane last played Test cricket during India’s tour of the West Indies in 2023 after earning a recall for the ICC World Test Championship final earlier that year. Since then, several stalwarts have also stepped away from the format.

Off-spinner R Ashwin retired midway through the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, while Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirements before the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara also exited the Test setup without a farewell, while fast bowler Mohammed Shami remains out of the selectors’ plans.

India’s current Test squad lacks experience

For the ongoing Sri Lanka tour, Ravindra Jadeja is India’s most experienced Test cricketer with 89 appearances. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are the only other players in the squad with more than 50 Tests.

With injured Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, Mohammed Siraj leads a relatively inexperienced pace attack that includes Prasidh Krishna, who has played seven Tests, while Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi are yet to make their Test debuts.