Ajinkya Rahane opens up on struggles as a child

The game of cricket is filled with many rags-to-riches stories of individuals who fought against all odds to persevere in their dream of playing for their country. From growing up as the son of a coal miner in rural Bengal, being a ticket collector, and living in a tent while selling ‘puchka’ to fund their dreams the game has seen great stories of passionate and victorious struggles.

One story that many are unaware of is that of India batting star Ajinkya Rahane. The right-handed batsman, who is one of the best Test batsmen in the world right now, debuted for India in 2011 during the tour of England and has not looked back since then.

In a recent interview with India Today, Rahane opened up about the struggles he faced while growing up, as he was not from a well-to-do family. The 31-year old recalled his struggling days where his mother used to walk 6 kms for his training because they did not have money to afford a rickshaw.

“My cricketing journey started in Dombivli. I still remember my mother used to walk with me with my kit bag in one hand and my brother in her other arm and we used to walk 6-8 km one way. We could not afford rickshaw fare at that time. Often I used to get tired and so I would ask my mother to take a rickshaw but she also did not have an answer to that. So once in a week, we used to take a rickshaw ride.”

“I am here because of my parents. For them, I am still the same Ajinkya Rahane. My family has sacrificed a lot for me so it was my dream to do something for them. I had seen that during my train journeys when I was 7. My father came with me on my first day from Dombivli to CST and dropped me and went to work. The second day he told me that now on I had to travel alone.”

“My father dropped me to Dombivli station and I took the train but later I got to know that my father was on the other compartment behind me. He followed me to CST to see if I could travel alone or not. Once he was assured that I was safe then he let me travel alone. I remember all the sacrifices they had made for me. They used to take me to cricket practice and never interfered or questioned about my performance,” Rahane said.

Rahane has since made a permanent spot for himself in the team and is one of the most reliable Test batters in the Indian side.