# Ajinkya Rahane reveals Sachin Tendulkar called first after URL: https://technosports.co.in/ajinkya-rahane-sachin-tendulkar-called-first/ Published: 2026-08-10 Updated: 2026-08-10 Author: Reetam Bodhak Ajinkya Rahane’s retirement from international cricket landed with quiet finality on **Thursday, 30 July 2026**—and the first phone call he received after posting the news carried a familiar, **Sachin Tendulkar**. Here’s the thing: what did Tendulkar say, who else reached out, and why does Rahane’s reaction matter for how we measure a career’s end? Rahane shared the retirement through a social media video captioned **“Cap 278 signing off.”** In that same phase of reflection, he said Tendulkar was the **first** to call him and told him, “I thought you would play for longer.” ![Ajinkya Rahane](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/aqjindkdk-1024x576.webp) ## What exactly did Sachin Tendulkar tell Ajinkya Rahane first after retirement? Rahane has revealed that the first call after his international retirement announcement came from **Sachin (Tendulkar) paaji**. According to Rahane’s account, Tendulkar told him he thought he would **play for longer**, and that line became the opening emotional beat to what followed after “Cap 278 signing off.” Rahane’s reply explains his mindset at the time. He said he didn’t want to “drag on,” stressing that he was retiring **without any regrets**. That matters because it frames the farewell as a decision made in full ownership of his journey—not as an exit forced by circumstances. ## Who else called Rahane, and what does that show about his standing? Tendulkar may have been first, but the reaction from the cricket fraternity didn’t stop there. Rahane said **Irfan Pathan** also called him, while messages came from **Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma**, and **Jasprit Bumrah**. This wasn’t just polite congratulation. Rahane said he told everyone the same core message: he was **satisfied because he had given everything to the game**. That’s a clear throughline—Rahane positions his career as complete from an emotional and work-ethic standpoint, not merely from a statistical one. For context on how tributes are typically framed publicly, you can also see how greats have been quoted before at platforms like [ESPNcricinfo](https://www.espncricinfo.com) and [BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport), where role-model commentary often highlights temperament as much as output. ## How did Rahane process the farewell publicly and privately? Rahane didn’t describe retirement as a clean, clinical announcement. He said he **“cried a lot”** after recording his retirement video, and he felt emotional discussing retirement with his family. That’s the human side many fans never see—especially when a player’s on-field calm becomes their public signature. He also appeared aware that public reporting around his age was inconsistent—reports reflected different references to him being **37 and 38 years old**. The detail is small, but it signals how an athlete’s final chapter can be turned into fragmented trivia even when the real story is emotional closure and personal decision-making. ## What’s next after this retirement announcement? Rahane’s last appearance for India was reported to have come in the **2023 away Test series against the West Indies**. After that, the retirement announcement on **30 July 2026** essentially closed the international chapter. The next meaningful phase is how he stays connected to cricket—whether through mentoring, coaching, or team involvement—especially given how Tendulkar’s first-call sentiment (“I thought you would play for longer”) underscores Rahane’s reputation as a batter with endurance and composure. Importantly, Sachin later paid tribute publicly, praising Rahane’s **composure, resilience, and calm presence** on the field. That kind of public framing often becomes a blueprint for what a former player is expected to carry forward. **Verdict: Tendulkar’s first-call “you should have played longer” paired with Rahane’s “no regrets” confirms the farewell was both respected and self-authored.** Here’s the bottom line: Rahane’s retirement wasn’t just announced—it was emotionally processed, and the first voice he heard was Tendulkar, validating a career remembered for calm under pressure. ## Related Articles - [Ajinkya Rahane backs](https://technosports.co.in/ajinkya-rahane-backs-kuldeep/) - [Magnificent Sachin Tendulkar](https://technosports.co.in/sachin-tendulkar-net-worth-age-career-family/) - [Sachin Tendulkar Virat](https://technosports.co.in/sachin-tendulkar-vs-virat-kohli/) --- ## FAQs ### Why did Ajinkya Rahane say Sachin Tendulkar called him first? Rahane said Tendulkar was the **first person** to call him after his international retirement announcement on **30 July 2026**, and that call included the line that he thought Rahane would play for longer. ### What message did Rahane repeat to the people who called him? Rahane said he told those who contacted him that he was **satisfied** because he had given **everything to the game**, and he was retiring **without any regrets**. ### Which players messaged or called Rahane after his retirement video? Rahane said **Irfan Pathan** called him, while **Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma**, and **Jasprit Bumrah** messaged him after the retirement became public, as covered by [Crictracker](https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/ajinkya-rahane-reveals-sachin-tendulkar-called-him-first-after-retirement-announcement-3603/). ### Did Rahane say he was emotional after recording his retirement video? Yes. Rahane said he **“cried a lot”** after recording the video and felt emotional discussing retirement with his family.