SPORTSThe Mumbai batter made his India debut in a Twenty20 International in 2011 but established himself in test cricket as a resolute middle-order playerNEW DELHI: Middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane, who served as India's stand-in test captain on several occasions, announced his ‌retirement from international cricket on Thursday, ending his pursuit of a recall to the test side. The Mumbai batter made his India debut in a Twenty20 International in 2011 but established himself in test cricket as a resolute middle-order player, building his game on defence and ⁠patience. "Today, I feel the timing is ‌right for me to move on and announce my ‌retirement from international cricket and all formats." Rahane played the last ‌of his 85 tests in ‌July 2023, before falling out of the side. As stand-in captain for Virat Kohli, Rahane led India to a memorable 2-1 series victory in Australia in 2020-21.