Top 3 Ajinkya Rahane records that might never be broken

Star India batter Ajinkya Rahane recently announced his retirement from international cricket. Rahane represented India in 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is, scoring 8,414 runs in total. He even captained India across all three formats, leading the side in six Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is.

While he may not have enjoyed the longevity or consistency of some of India's modern batting greats, his international career produced several remarkable moments. Here are three records that could remain associated with him for years to come:

1. Most runs on men's T20I debut for India

Rahane made his T20I debut against England in Manchester on 31^st August, 2011 and immediately made an impact, scoring a fluent 61 off 39 deliveries. He slammed eight fours in his innings, helping India post 165. Fifteen years later, it remains the highest score by an Indian batter on men's T20I debut.

Apart from him, only Ishan Kishan is the only other batter to score a fifty on T20I debut for India.

2. Most Tests as India's captain without losing

Rahane's leadership record in Test cricket is quite remarkable. He captained India in six Tests and never tasted defeat, guiding the team to four wins and two draws. 

Under his captaincy, India registered their historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in 2020-21 in Australia in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli. He continues to hold the record for the most Tests as an Indian captain without suffering a single loss.

3. Most international centuries without a single defeat

Rahane also owns a rare batting record with none of his international centuries ending in a loss. Across Tests and ODIs, Rahane produced 15 hundreds, and none came in a losing cause, the most for an Indian player.

As international cricket becomes more competitive, surpassing Rahane's feat and maintaining a perfect record across an entire career is going to be incredibly difficult for players.