Who Called Ajinkya Rahane First After Retirement? Here’s What Sachin Tendulkar Told Him

Ajinkya Rahane's decision to retire from cricket came with an emotional farewell, but the former India batter has no regrets about walking away from the game.

The 38-year-old revealed that several of his former teammates and Indian cricket greats reached out after his retirement announcement, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Cheteshwar Pujara and Irfan Pathan.

Tendulkar was the first to call Rahane after he posted his retirement video. Speaking to The Indian Express, Rahane said the legendary batter was surprised that he had decided to end his career.

"The first call came from Sachin (Tendulkar) paaji, who said he thought I would play for longer."

Rahane, however, was certain that he did not want to extend his career simply for the sake of continuing.

"I told him I didn't want to drag on because I was retiring without any regrets."

The former India vice-captain also received a call from Pathan, while Pujara, Kohli, Rohit and Bumrah sent him messages. Despite the different ways in which his former teammates contacted him, Rahane said he gave all of them the same answer.

"Irfan Pathan also called, while Pujara, Virat, Rohit and Bumrah all messaged me. I told everyone the same thing: I was satisfied because I had given everything to the game," Rahane told The Indian Express.

Rahane's international career spanned nearly two decades and included 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is. He became particularly valued in Test cricket for his ability to cope with difficult overseas conditions, with his technique against swing and seam making him a dependable middle-order option for India.

His association with Pujara and Kohli was an important part of that period. Rahane and Pujara had already spent considerable time together in domestic cricket before becoming regular members of India's Test setup, while Kohli and Rahane shared several years together in the national team.

Looking back, Rahane said the three batters were united by the ambition of turning India into the world's leading Test side.

"Pujara and I played a lot together in domestic cricket, while Virat and I spent more time together playing for India. But the bonding we had was really good."

That relationship extended beyond their time on the field, with the players regularly discussing and analysing matches as India progressed in Test cricket.

"We shared one goal, taking India's Test team to the top. From being ranked sixth or seventh in 2015, we gradually became the No. 1 Test side. We constantly discussed and analysed the game, learnt from each other and built a strong bond."

Rahane also remembered the difficult stages of that journey, before India established itself as a dominant Test side.

"Before becoming champions, we also went through difficult phases together in Tests, but it was enjoyable," he told The Indian Express.

For Rahane, however, the decision to retire was not as straightforward emotionally as it was in his mind. He admitted that he broke down after recording his farewell message.

"After recording the video, I cried a lot. I was emotional while discussing retirement with my family, but I didn't expect the recording itself to affect me so much."

The reality of leaving behind a sport he had played for most of his life became overwhelming during the recording.

"The reality hit that I would no longer do something I had loved for years. That thought stayed with me throughout the recording," Rahane told The Indian Express.

Rahane also captained India during the historic 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, taking charge after the team's heavy defeat in Adelaide and leading the side to a memorable series triumph in Australia.