Ajinkya Rahane reveals Sachin Tendulkar called him first after retirement announcement

Ajinkya Rahane has revealed that legendary Sachin Tendulkar was the first person to call him after he announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket on July 30, 2026. The call from the batting legend carried a message that Rahane has since shared publicly, offering a rare glimpse into the personal side of his farewell from the game.

In an interview, Rahane disclosed what Tendulkar told him after his retirement decision.

"The first call came from Sachin (Tendulkar) paaji, who said he thought I would play for longer. I told him I didn’t want to drag on because I was retiring without any regrets. Irfan Pathan also called, while Pujara, Virat, Rohit and Bumrah all messaged me. I told everyone the same thing: I was satisfied because I had given everything to the game," Rahane was quoted as saying by India Today.

Tendulkar was not the only prominent figure to contact Rahane following the announcement. Irfan Pathan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah were among those who got in touch after he made his decision public. The volume of messages from teammates and contemporaries reflected the respect Rahane earned across generations of Indian cricket.

Rahane also admitted that he cried a lot after recording his retirement video, underlining how significant the moment was for him on a personal level.

"After recording the video, I cried a lot. I was emotional while discussing retirement with my family, but I didn’t expect the recording itself to affect me so much. The reality hit that I would no longer do something I had loved for years. That thought stayed with me throughout the recording," said Rahane.

Rahane's international career spanned 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is. One of the defining chapters of his playing days came when he captained India to a historic Test series victory in Australia, steering the side to a famous win at the Gabba in January 2021 while standing in for the regular skipper. That series result remains one of the most celebrated achievements in Indian Test cricket.

Although Rahane has stepped away from international cricket, his playing career is not entirely over. He is set to feature in the European T20 Premier League, which will be making its debut as an inaugural competition, giving him a fresh competitive outlet at the next stage of his career.