During a recent Sky Sports interview at Lord's, former England captain Michael Atherton nearly referred to Ajinkya Rahane as a "former India cricketer". The incident occurred while Atherton was discussing Rahane's career and future prospects with fellow commentator Nasser Hussain. Rahane, who was present at the venue, responded with composure to Atherton's near-blunder.

Atherton quickly corrected himself, acknowledging Rahane's ongoing aspirations to play Test cricket for India. He highlighted Rahane's impressive record of 85 Test appearances, over 5,000 runs, and 12 Test centuries, also noting that Rahane had captained India in six games, winning four. Atherton then inquired about Rahane's current plans and his hopes of making a comeback to the Indian team.

Rahane, 37, affirmed his desire to continue playing Test cricket and his passion for the format. He mentioned that he was in England for a few days and had brought his training gear to maintain his fitness. Rahane also stated that he was preparing for the upcoming domestic season, where he will represent Mumbai.

"Not at all thinking of giving up on playing Test cricket for India. First of all, happy to be here. I still want to play Test cricket, and I am passionate about playing this format," Rahane said during the interview. "I am here for a few days, and I have carried my trainers and training clothes so that I can keep myself fit. Our domestic season is starting, so the preparation has just begun".

Rahane last played a Test for India on July 20, 2023, against the West Indies. In the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy season, he scored 467 runs in nine matches, averaging 35.92, including one century and one half-century, with a highest score of 108. While he hasn't been a regular in the Indian squad recently, his domestic performance keeps him in contention. In the recent IPL 2025, Rahane scored 390 runs in 12 innings for Kolkata Knight Riders at a strike rate of 147.72, including three fifties. He also led Mumbai to victory in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season.

Atherton's commentary career began between 2002 and 2005 with Channel 4, covering Test cricket in England. He also commentated for BBC Radio and Talksport on Test matches outside England during this period. In 2005, Atherton joined Sky Sports, where he continues to commentate on all forms of the game, both domestically and internationally.

Rahane made his international debut in T20Is against England in August 2011. His Test debut followed in March 2013 against Australia. Rahane has a first-class average of 45.16, having scored 14,000 runs in 201 games with 41 centuries and 59 half-centuries. He was also named captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2025 IPL auction.