Rahane treated to surprise home-coming after triumphant SL tour

INDIA'S NEWEST NO. 3 Test batsman Ajinkya Rahane was in for a huge surprise from his family, after the cricketer's return from a successful Test series in Sri Lanka.

The Mumbai batsman was greeted to a life-sized sketch wallpaper on the living room wall of his new house. It was a well-planned surprise by Ajinkya’s father, who left no stone unturned in making his son’s homecoming an occasion to remember. The cricketer’s family had decided to move to their new residence after his return from Sri Lanka.

“Ajinkya did not know about it and was pleasantly surprised to see the huge sketch on the wall," a close friend told DNA.

The sketch was drawn by an artist called Manish Parab, who took just a couple of hours to complete it to perfection. The sketch shows Rahane playing his trademark shot - the lofted drive, a picture of which was originally clicked during the 27-year old's magnificent ton at Lord's in 2014.

"The family had planned to shift to their new home after Ajinkya's return from Sri Lanka. They did so on Saturday, an auspicious day (Janmashtami). Nobody in the Rahane household has stopped smiling because their dear boy scored a century at number three and, more importantly, helped India win the series 2-1," the friend added.

Rahane enjoyed considerable success in the island nation. In the first Test at Galle, he became the first cricketer in history to claim 8 catches in a single Test – a world record in its own. The 27-year old followed it up with a special hundred in the second Test, batting at his new number 3 position for the first time.

The surprise welcome, though, didn’t end there. The new Rahane residence has another sketch wallpaper of the cricketer along with his wife, Radhika Dhopavkar.

Could Ajinkya Rahane ask for a sweeter surprise?