Ajinkya Rahane said that the “positive and frank conversations” between him and Virat Kohli helped the two forge crucial partnerships for India in Test cricket.

Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Rahane, who recently announced his retirement, said that batting with the former India captain brought out the best in him.

“I really enjoyed batting with him (Kohli). We complemented each other really well. The aggressive nature of Virat and my calm nature really helped us a lot. I feel the reason for this partnership is always the positive and frank communication we had, what we used to feel when we used to bat together,” Rahane said.

Rahane, who scored 12 centuries and amassed 5,077 runs in Test cricket, added that Kohli always backed him to trust his instinct.

“He was always positive. He said, ‘Just play your game’. For me, naturally I was, I’m an attacking cricketer. So he said, ‘If you feel like going after a particular bowler, don’t hesitate at all’.

“The reason for this partnership, for this run is all about the camaraderie. We used to spend a lot of time together, even off the field.”

The 38-year-old credited Kohli’s tenure as captain, with Ravi Shastri in-charge of the helm, for India’s dominance in the longest format, where the team secured back-to-back series wins in Australia.

“When we started playing in our era… I felt Virat (Kohli) and Ravi (Shastri) were the guys who toughened up Indian cricket, especially playing overseas, going aggressive, going bold, rather than being defensive and slightly reactive. I think we were always proactive,” he said.

No seniors left

Rahane lamented India’s woeful form in Tests at home, which has seen the side slump to series losses at the hands of New Zealand and South Africa.

The 85-Test veteran said that the format needs at least seven senior players in the playing eleven. He felt this Indian side had transitioned too fast after Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R. Ashwin called time on their careers.

“I still feel Test cricket needs seven-eight senior players and two-three younger players. What we are seeing now is that all the players are actually new. There’s hardly any senior cricketer left. So, Test cricket needs that.

“I’ve been sitting at home, watching the Indian team lose matches even in India as well. I think Test cricket needs character. You need to build such characters and play competitive cricket. That’s what’s important. Playing session out. You don’t see many teams do that.”

Published on Aug 05, 2026