Delhi Capitals sign Ajinkya Rahane in trade as franchise continues to strengthen Indian core

India batsman Rahane follows Ravichandran Ashwin in joining Ricky Ponting's side

Delhi Capitals have signed Ajinkya Rahane from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League.

The India batsman arrives as part of a trade between the two franchises, with spinners Rahul Tewatia and Mayank Markande heading the other way as part of the deal.

Rahane, who has scored more than 7,000 runs for India across all formats, will play for his fourth IPL outfit once the tournament begins. He has made 3,820 runs in 140 IPL games, recording two centuries in that time.

He commenced his career in the competition with Mumbai Indians, before leaving for his initial stint at Rajasthan, where he spent five seasons.

He then played for Rising Pune Supergiant for the two-year period that the franchise was in operation, before returning to Rajasthan for the last two campaigns, during which time he captained on several occasions in a side that also featured Ben Stokes, Steve Smith, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer.

Rahane joins a rapidly improving Delhi Capitals side; last season, under the tutelage of Ricky Ponting as head coach, a young team impressed before losing to Chennai Super Kings in the second qualifier for the final. He follows India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in joining the franchise.

“I am also extremely honoured to welcome one of India’s most stellar and consistent batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane, to the DC family,” Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal said.

“When the franchise underwent a revamp last year, a decision was made to keep Indian players at its core.

“The result was there for everyone to see, with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma performing brilliantly for us, and complimenting the youth that DC has in Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw, among others.

“That thought process has continued for us this time around as well, as is evident in the signing of Ravichandran Ashwin, followed by that of Ajinkya Rahane. I am sure Rahane’s wealth of experience, and familiarity with the conditions will help Delhi Capitals go a long way in IPL 2020.”

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