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Ajinkya Rahane is clever cricketer who has found an way to effectively play the T20 format, says Chennai Super Kings bowling consultant Eric Simons.
Rahane, who has struggled in shortest format of the game in the past, has been a revelation this IPL season, batting with a lot of freedom and going after opposition bowlers, playing orthodox cricket shots.
The top order batter has a strike rate of 222.22 in the powerplay this season.
"It is something that does not surprise me at all. I think people misunderstand T20 cricket, batting in particular. There are different ways of playing this game," Simons said on the eve of CSK's match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
"It is important to find your way and who you are. Ajinkya Rahane is a very clever cricketer. He has found his way of playing the game (T20) and he has been very effective,"
"He plays traditional cricket shots. He has got a particular way and he has grown tremendously."
The experienced Rahane, who has been out of the national team for some time now, was picked by CSK for his base price of Rs 50 lakh.
Meanwhile, SRH captain Aiden Markram praised left-arm pacer T Natarajan.
"Yeah, we love Nattu (Natarajan). We know his ability, we know his class. He bowls the tough overs for us, a lot like what Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) does.
"He is very clear in his plans. There will be nights where the execution is slightly off. But, there will also be a lot of nights where he gets it right. He is a proper match-winner for us," the South African cricketer said of the Tamil Nadu pace bowler.