Rahane attributes India's Test cricket decline to ...

By Rohan Gupta — 5 August 2026 — 3 min read

Former Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has identified the gradual departure of senior players as a key factor in India’s Test cricket struggles over the past two years. Rahane, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, shared his perspective on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast, emphasising the importance of experienced cricketers in the longer format of the game.

According to Rahane, Test cricket requires a core group of seven to eight senior players to provide guidance to younger talent. He noted that the current composition of the Indian Test squad features many new players, with a noticeable absence of experienced individuals. This shift, he suggests, has contributed to the team’s recent downturn in performance.

Exodus of experienced players

The transition in the Indian Test squad has been evident since the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final. Following the loss to Australia in that final, players like Rahane himself and Cheteshwar Pujara were among the first to be phased out of the Test setup. Subsequently, prominent figures such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket within approximately six months.

This period of transition coincided with significant setbacks for the Indian team. In 2024, India suffered a series whitewash against New Zealand at home. Later, they experienced a 1-4 loss to Australia away from home in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. These results impacted their standing in the World Test Championship.

Rahane highlighted that Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin experienced declines in their form during these series. Their retirements occurred before the commencement of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. As of August 2026, many of these former players have retired from international cricket, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continuing to play solely as ODI-exclusive players.

Among the batsmen from the generation that emerged in the 2010s, only KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja remain in the Test squad. Jadeja is increasingly being considered as a specialist batter rather than an all-rounder. The current core of the Indian batting line-up includes captain Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant. Other younger players being tested include Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Recent struggles and upcoming challenges

In addition to the 2024 whitewash against New Zealand, India faced another significant defeat in 2025, losing a home series 0-2 to South Africa. This marked the first time India had suffered such a loss at home since the 1999-2000 season. These results have placed India fifth in the World Test Championship standings, making their path to the final increasingly difficult.

Rahane reiterated his view on the podcast, stating, “Test cricket fans are proper cricket lovers. New players have come in over the last two years in Tests. I still feel Test cricket needs seven to eight senior cricketers and two to three younger players. But what we are seeing now is that all the players are actually new.” He further added, “There are hardly any senior players left. Test cricket needs them. You need to respect the senior players. All the senior players going at once has been the issue.”

The team is currently undergoing a period of transition, with upcoming away series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, followed by a home series against Australia. The immediate challenge for the squad is a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The first match is scheduled to take place at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from August 15 to 19. The second Test will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23 to 27.