Ajinkya Rahane has spoken openly about the childhood sacrifices his parents made in Mumbai, and how those years of going without became the fuel that drove him to the top of international cricket.

In a BBC Sport video interview conducted by Amber Sandhu, the former India captain reflected on the path that took him from a Mumbai upbringing to leading his country across all three formats of the game — Test matches, one-day internationals and Twenty20s (BBC Sport).

Rahane told Sandhu that his parents' sacrifices during his childhood motivated him to reach the highest level of the sport. He did not frame it as a story of exceptional talent alone, but as one built on what his family gave up so he could pursue cricket seriously.

For anyone who follows Indian cricket, the detail lands with familiar weight. Mumbai's cricket culture runs deep — maidans (open public grounds) where hundreds of children train simultaneously, coaches who spot promise early, and families who pour limited resources into equipment, travel and coaching fees in the hope that a batting career might take hold. Rahane's account slots into that broader picture without melodrama.

Rahane served as India's captain across all formats, a role that carries particular significance in a cricket-obsessed nation where the job is as much a public institution as a sporting position. Leading India means fronting press conferences after every match, absorbing the scrutiny of millions of fans, and setting the tactical tone whether the game unfolds over five days of Test cricket, 50 overs, or the compressed 20-over sprint of T20.

The interview adds a personal layer to a career most fans know through scorecards. Rahane built his reputation as a calm, technically assured batter — the kind of player who could absorb pressure in difficult conditions and grind out innings when flashier teammates might falter. That composure, he suggests, had roots in a household where making do with less was simply part of the arrangement.

What stands out is the directness. There is no grand narrative about destiny or inevitability. Rahane points to his parents, names what they gave up, and connects it to the work he put in. It is the kind of origin story that resonates beyond cricket — across sports, across countries — because it rests on something plain: someone believed in a child, and the child tried to repay that belief.

The full interview is available on the BBC Sport website (BBC Sport).