Ajinkya Rahane reveals why he refused to cut kangaroo cake and the answer won over several hearts

Mumbai, January 31: India's stand-in captain in Ajinkya Rahane-led his side to an emphatic series triumph against Australia overcame against all odds to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.

The Mumbaikar returned home to a heroes welcome with chants of 'aala re aala Ajinkya aala'. Rahane along with coach Ravi Shastri and his teammates Rohit Sharma, Shardul Thakur and Prithvi Shaw were felicitated by Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials.

Surprises awaited the reticent batsman after he drove straight to his housing society in suburban Matunga, where residents had made elaborate preparations to accord their hero a royal welcome.

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Rahane was welcomed with the beats of dhol, while others showered the cricketer with flower petals. Rahane was also joined by his wife and two-year-old daughter in the celebration. Soaking in the carnival-like atmosphere, Rahane acknowledged the love and adulation showered on him by the people of the city, many of whom waited for his team at the airport wearing masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rahane also cut a cake to celebrate the team's win. However, the soft-spoken cricketer was also asked to cut a cake which had kangaroo on it but Rahane politely refused to cut it. Recently when veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle asked Rahane the reason for it, all one could do was admire him.

"Yeah I mean, the kangaroo is their national animal and I don't want to do that (cut a cake with the kangaroo on it). You treat your opposition with respect and you treat them really well even if you win, even if you create history, that's fine," Rahane told Harsha Bhogle in a chat.

Always wanted to ask @ajinkyarahane88 about the cake he was offered with a kangaroo on it and why he refused to cut it. The small things that tell you more about a person. More of this conversation on his FB page. pic.twitter.com/YZwwQKlFJq

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 30, 2021

Rahane played the captain's knock in the second Test to see India home. Rahane, who is now at the eighth spot in the latest ICC Test Rankings, hit 24 off 22 balls before Rishabh Pant's match-winning knock in the fourth Test. India will now be preparing for the four-Test series against England starting February 5 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.