BCCI fines Randji player 1 lakh rupees for using phone during match; ban in TNPL

Ajinkya Rahane stated that he has no regrets about his decision to leave cricket. The experienced Indian player emphasized that he made the decision to retire after careful consideration and is completely satisfied with what he gave to the sport.

After announcing his retirement, he was contacted by many of his former teammates. Rahane reported that the great batsman Sachin Tendulkar was the first to call him. Sachin expressed hope that Rahane would play for a long time yet.

Rahane explained that he clearly told Sachin that he did not wish to artificially prolong his career. He believes that now is the right time since he has contributed his full effort on the field and has no regrets.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Rahane noted that Sachin Paaji called him first. He mentioned that he expected him to continue playing, but he replied that he did not want to drag out his career as he was leaving without regrets.

Not only Sachin, but many old acquaintances of Rahane contacted him after his departure. Irfan Pathan called him, while Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah started communicating via messages. Rahane noted that the reaction of all these players was similar: they acknowledged his satisfaction because he worked honestly for the sport and gave it everything.

Rahane recalled his first years with the Indian team when he joined in 2011. He recounted that in the first five to six months of his career, he mainly observed the senior players of the team to learn. At that time, big figures like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, MS Dhoni, and Virender Sehwag were present in the Indian team dressing room. According to Rahane, all these players provided him with significant support.

He also mentioned that during that period, sufficient time for net practice was primarily given to the main squad players. Players who were not in the starting lineup had fewer opportunities to practice. Because of this, Rahane learned a lot by observing the senior players and later applied this knowledge in his game.

Rahane also witnessed the transformation of the Indian team from within. According to him, as old veterans left the team, the atmosphere in the dressing room began to change. He noticed that at a certain point, there were many players in the team who had played together before, which created a special bond and sense of unity among the athletes. The players' thoughts were also quite similar.

During that period, the team aimed to win more matches by playing aggressive cricket. However, when new generation players started joining the Indian team, Rahane and his teammates adopted a different approach to the dressing room. They focused on creating an environment where young players felt comfortable and where their good performances and achievements were openly celebrated.

Rahane emphasized that the goal of this new phase was to create a dressing room where there would be no room for arrogance or jealousy among players. He wanted every player to praise the success of another and maintain cohesion within the team.

Fifteen years after rumors of a romance surfaced, cricketer Brett Lee publicly commented on the discussions. He stated that he never dated the Bollywood actress.

Lee, who was considered one of the fastest players of his time, played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and later for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL). During IPL matches, Hrithik Roshan and Brett Lee were often seen together, leading to constant rumors about their romantic relationship.

In a recent interview with Bombay Times, Brett Lee openly discussed these conversations. He emphasized that he never cared about such gossip because he knew the truth. He noted that despite public speculation, he never allowed these rumors to take over him.

The former Australian fast bowler also highly regarded Hrithik Roshan. He shared that they developed a strong friendship while playing for Kings XI Punjab, and she remains one of his closest friends in India. Lee described Hrithik as very sensible and expressed deep respect for her.

This is not the first time Brett Lee has clarified his relationship status with Hrithik. Back in 2011 at an event in Mumbai, he stated that they had developed a good friendship while working together at Kings XI Punjab, and Hrithik is one of his closest friends in India.

When rumors of a connection between Brett Lee and Hrithik Roshan began to spread widely, Hrithik herself reacted sharply on social media. In 2010, she wrote on X (then Twitter) that she was not dating any players from her team or any cricketers. She mentioned that she was tired of constantly being linked to her teammates and added that she was single and not dating her teammates or cricketers, but when she does, everyone will find out.

Hrithik Roshan married her long-time friend Gene Goodenough in a private Hindu ceremony in Los Angeles in 2016. In 2021, the couple became parents to twins through surrogacy. Regarding her film career, Hrithik was last seen in Sunny Deol's film 'Bhaiyaji Superhit', and is now preparing to return to Rajkumar Santoshi's film 'Bantwara 1947', where she plays the lead role, and Amir Khan produces it.

Meanwhile, Brett Lee concluded his twenty-year cricket career in 2015. For Australia, he played 76 Test matches, taking 310 wickets, and 221 ODIs, taking 380 wickets.