Like Tendulkar, Rahane too belongs to the Mumbai school of batsmanship. He too loves to hit the ball hard, is blessed with the gift of timing, looks to pile up runs by the bucketful, and seems as good a fielder as a young Tendulkar was.
Rahane too wants to open in the T20s and ODIs, while preferring the middle-order in the Tests.
At the moment to even imagine that many rate him as the top contender to replace arguably the most famous No 4 in the game gives him goose bumps. "If the team thinks that I fit into that position, then I am fine with it. I have been an opener since I started playing, but I can score runs at any position," Rahane told TOI in an interview on Friday.
While the pressure on youngsters like him to fill the big boots of Tendulkar can be killing, Rahane, for the moment, chose to delve into what the legend meant to him. "I have been watching him since I was a ball boy.
I would miss my meals to watch his batting. I met him for the first time during the U-19 camp before the New Zealand tour. He had come to motivate us. I always thank God that he gave me the opportunity to play with him.
I was an honour to share the dressing room with him while playing for the Mumbai Indians, the Mumbai Ranji team and India. He has always been my role model. No one can replace him. He will be missed," Rahane said.
While Rahane's game took off after playing under the captaincy of Rajasthan Royals' skipper Rahul Dravid, Tendulkar seems to have had a major influence on him too. "There are so many things I learnt from him.
They way he works hard in the nets, the way he prepares for a game, the way he handles the pressure, the way he conducts himself on and off the field. It is very difficult not to get in awe of him, but when you meet for the first time but he calms you down.
He respects everyone and that's why he is such a respected figure. I have shared plenty of partnerships with him. He is very humble and approachable. I still remember him telling me, 'You are a good player. Keep working hard and do not change your game,'" Rahane gushes.
Personally, Rahane is in top form now, having rustled up 288 runs@57.60, including four fifties on the trot, for the Royals to end up as the top run-getter of this edition of CLT20.
That effort, though, still couldn't prevent his team from losing the final. "It was a little disappointing but then, that's sport for you. I am proud of my team as we did our best," he says.
He still doesn't figure in the Indian team, which is playing a limited overs series against Australia. Surely, frustration must be creeping in at times. "I am a positive person.
There is no point getting frustrated about things which are not in our hands, so I put all the energy on my game. I believe in working hard and improving every aspect of my game, every day, so that whenever I get the opportunity to India, I am prepared to make the best of it. Being patient has always worked for me," he felt.
The MS Dhoni-Duncan Fletcher combine do have faith in this youngster. "Dhoni likes my attitude towards cricket. I always talk to Fletcher about technique. During the India A tour to South Africa recently, he complimented me for having improved my game," Rahane revealed.
The Mumbaikar had a disastrous Test debut in Delhi earlier this year, managing just 7 & 1 on a treacherous Kotla wicket. "I agree that I did not perform to my full potential but I have rectified my mistakes.
I have improved a lot and hopefully, in the next opportunity, I will score some big runs," he promised.
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