Rohan Raje

Born in Neral in Maharashtra on 3 September 1986,^[1] Raje debuted as part of Mumbai's youth system during the 2004/05 season, representing their Under-19 squad in both the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, a limited-overs competition, and the Cooch Behar Trophy, which featured multiple-day matches.^[2] Starting in the 2006/07 campaign, he made his first appearances in the C. K. Nayudu Trophy, a three-day competition for those 22 and younger. Also starting in the 2006/07 cricket season, Raje began playing for a cricket team representing the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), starting an affiliation that spanned 12 non-consecutive seasons.^[2] Later that season, during the first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMA Trophy),^[a] Raje made his initial appearances in major cricket.^[4] Appearing twice for Mumbai in West Zone group play,^[3] he scored two runs,^[5] took the wicket of Pratik Desai,^[6] and had three catches.^[5]

In the 2007/08 season, Raje played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the first time,^[7] making a single appearance for Mumbai where he failed to record a wicket as a bowler and scored 11 runs as a batter.^[8] Much of his year was spent with Mumbai's Under-22 side,^[2] with whom he helped win the Nayudu Trophy.^[9] His performances with the Under-22 side and the IOC team that year were considered "consistent" by Cricinfo,^[1] and helped him receive a contract from the Mumbai Indians of the newly-formed Indian Premier League (IPL).^[10]

Raje signed a US$40,000 contract to play for the Indians in 2008,^[11] double the base $20,000 salary for a rookie cricketer.^[b][12] During the year, he made six appearances in the debut IPL season,^[13] scoring eight runs and taking five wickets,^[14] including taking a pair of wickets at the cost of 16 runs in a victory against the eventual champions, the Rajasthan Royals.^[15] He credited teammates Sachin Tendulkar, Shaun Pollock and Dwayne Bravo with helping him improve as a player.^[16] Raje remained with the Indians during the second edition of the IPL, held in 2009 in South Africa,^[13] with his contract having been upgraded by US$10,000 in the interim.^[11] Raje appeared in four matches for the Indians, with most of his statistical contributions coming in a match against the Deccan Chargers, where he scored 11 of the 12 runs he recorded over the year and took his lone wicket, that of Adam Gilchrist,^[17] of the season.^[13][14] The 11 runs would become his career best in any T20 match, including later matches in the SMA Trophy.^[1] 2008 and 2009 represented the only seasons in which Raje would factor in the IPL.^[13]

After playing in only a SMA Trophy match during the 2009/10 cricket season,^[3] Raje played in all three cricket formats (first-class, List A, and Twenty20) with Mumbai for the only time in his career.^[3][7][18] In the 2010/11 SMA Trophy, Raje led Mumbai with eight wickets.^[19] He was not expected to make the 30-man roster for the Ranji Trophy but was placed on the team after injuries to Ajit Agarkar and Aavishkar Salvi.^[20] In his only Ranji Trophy appearance,^[21] he recorded three wickets, all in the first eight overs of the match,^[22] in a victory against Railways.^[21]

Between 2011/12 and 2013/14, Raje did not appear in major cricket, spending most of those years representing IOC and the Mumbai-based National Cricket Club in various minor competitions.^[2] He missed the entire 2011/12 season due to various injuries.^[23] Returning to Twenty20 cricket in the 2014/15 season, he played in all 7 of Mumbai's SMA Trophy matches that year,^[24] leading the side in wickets taken.^[25] Raje's three wickets for 15 runs in a Trophy match against Rajasthan represented his best bowling in any innings in major cricket.^[26] The following season, in a loss to Rajasthan in the Hazare Trophy, he would record his best batting total with 21 runs in an innings.^[27] His major career ended with two SMA Trophy matches in the 2016/17 campaign,^[3] while he played a final minor match for IOC in 2017.^[2]