Mumbai:Senior batter Ajinkya Rahane, who famously led an injury-ravaged Indian team to an improbable Test series win over Australia in 2021, announced his retirement from international cricket on Thursday, saying that the time is right for him to “move on”.

The 38-year-old played 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is for India in a career which began in 2013. However, he has not turned up for India since the 2023 away Test series against the West Indies but maintained even until this year’s IPL that he would not give up on the dream of a comeback. “The reality of life is that everything has a beginning, and everything has an end. When that time comes, you simply have to respect it and move forward. I always relied on timing in my batting, and I’ve always understood its important,” Rahane said in a video message on his instagram account.

“Today, I feel the timing is right for me to move on and announce my requirement from international cricket, and all formats,” he added in the clip that was captioned ‘Cap number 278, signing off’.