Expressing happiness at the elevation of Ajinkya Rahane as the India skipper for this month's short tour of Zimbabwe, former captain and ex-chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar today said that the Mumbai batsman has come of age.
"It's good news. He will gain valuable experience leading India. It's an honour for a cricketer to lead the country. I am happy with the progress he has made over the last couple of years. I think he has come of age," Vengsarkar told reporters here today.
Rahane was yesterday named as the captain of a largely second-string Indian team, missing many regulars including regular one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Test skipper Virat Kohli, for the July 10-19 tour.
The 27-year-old middle order batsman is the first from Mumbai to lead the country after cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's reign fifteen years ago.
India are to play three ODIs and two T20 Internationals on the short visit to the African country.
Vengsarkar, who is the vice president of the Mumbai Cricket Association as well as the chairman of its Cricket Improvement Committee, was pleased with the consistency shown by the Rahane in his career.
"He's been playing very well and scored runs against all opposition. He's focused, passionate, very disciplined and is very consistent which is the hallmark of a good cricketer," said the 116-Test veteran.
"The hundred he made at Lord's (against England last season) was brilliant. I watched that innings and rate it very high as it came when India had lost wickets. It was a crucial innings (103) from the team's point of view as India won that game," said the scorer of three consecutive Test hundreds at Lord's.
"When I was selector we had picked him twice - for the Emerging Players series (in Australia) and to England (for India A)," the former India middle order batsman recalled.
