Ajinkya Rahane has named his all-time India Test XI, picking only players he shared a field with at some point in his career, whether in international cricket or the domestic game. The list came with several notable omissions: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah were all left out, a combination that immediately triggered strong reactions across social media.
Rahane retired from all cricket in July 2026, having played 85 Test matches and scored 5,077 runs at an average of 38.46. The all-time XI exercise was built around a strict personal rule: every player chosen had to be someone Rahane had actually played alongside.
The absence of Kohli and Bumrah proved the most discussed aspect of the selection. Both are widely regarded as central figures in India's modern Test era, and many supporters found it difficult to picture any India Test XI without them.
Why are Kohli and Bumrah missing from Rahane's XI?
Rahane's self-imposed rule required every player to be a direct teammate, which alone did not exclude Kohli or Bumrah since Rahane played alongside both in international cricket. The more telling factor behind Kohli's absence is positional. Rahane placed Sachin Tendulkar at number four, and with Rahul Dravid at number three and Rahane himself at number five, there was simply no batting slot left for Kohli in the middle order.
The exclusion of Jasprit Bumrah from the pace attack drew an even stronger reaction from supporters. Bumrah has been considered by many as among the finest fast bowlers India has produced across formats, yet Rahane opted for a different trio in his XI. No specific reason for Bumrah's omission was disclosed.
Rohit Sharma was also left out, with Rahane instead choosing Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan as his opening pair, a combination that represented India during several overseas series in the mid-2010s.
Who made it into Rahane's all-time India Test XI?
The batting order in Rahane's XI reads: Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan open, followed by Rahul Dravid at number three, Sachin Tendulkar at number four and Rahane himself at number five. MS Dhoni takes the wicketkeeper's role and also serves as captain. Rahane explained that Dhoni was his first captain in international cricket, a detail that clearly influenced the choice.
The spin department features Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, a pairing that formed the backbone of India's bowling attack across home and away conditions for several years. The pace trio consists of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma, three bowlers who were central to India's ability to take twenty wickets in Test matches around the world.
The selections reflect the teammates and mentors who shaped Rahane's formative years in red-ball cricket. The top order in particular pays tribute to the senior players alongside whom he learned to construct Test innings, most notably Tendulkar and Dravid. The omission of Kohli, with whom Rahane shared several notable partnerships during his Test career, added to the debate that followed the announcement online.
