I Was Hurt on Getting Dropped Despite Performing Well: Suresh Raina

Team India batsman Suresh Raina is all set to return to national colours in the 3 match T20I series after serving a long lay off from the team. The southpaw stated that he was hurt at not getting selected in the national side despite performing well. However, he is determined to make most of the opportunity in the upcoming T20I series in the Rainbow Nation.

“I was hurt on getting dropped even after performing well. But now I have cleared the Yo-Yo test and feeling so strong. During all these months of hard training, the desire to play for India again grew only so much stronger,” said Raina. “I won’t leave it here. I have to play for India for as long as possible. I have to play the 2019 World Cup because I know I have done well in England. There is still a lot left in me and I am extremely confident of doing well in these three games in South Africa,” he said.

Raina is already 31 but feels that he still has a lot left in him and age is just a number. “Yes, I am 31 but, as they say it, age is just a number. The other day when my match clothing arrived, I had the same feeling like I got before making my India debut. It is so special,” he said. Raina last donned the national colours against England in a T20I last year. He performed well in one of the matches but yo yo test kept him out of the team for a long time.

“My family became my biggest strength during this trying time. I played a lot of domestic cricket and focused on clearing the Yo-Yo test too. I worked really hard on it at the NCA. I have always been fit during my entire career but it is just that at the time you get down injuries or niggles and that hampered the preparation to clear the test,” said Raina.

With the likes of Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Kedhar Jadhav and AJinkya Rahane in the mix it seems difficult for Raina to break in to the 50 overs team but given his abilities and dip on form for any of the batsmen it might pave the way for his comeback given the fact that he has performed well in English conditions.

“If you talk about the No 4 slot in the ODIs, it is not an easy one to bat on. Most of the time the team is in a tricky situation when the No 4 comes to bat, especially during a chase. One needs to attack, change the gears constantly. I personally feel that the No 4 and 5 slot suits more to my style of batting,” said Raina.

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