SA vs IND 2018: I Can Assure You That I Am Going To Be In The ODI Team Very Soon: Suresh Raina

Buoyed with his eye-catching performances in the T20I series, Suresh Raina has insisted he would be back in the ODI team very soon.

The southpaw made his comeback to the Indian T20I side after a absence than spanned over a year. However, it did not take him long to show he can be a vital cog in India’s fragile middle-order.  Raina did not quite set the stage on fire in the rainbow nation but managed to leave a lasting impression.

With scores of 15, 31 and 43 and a Man of the Match award in the final T20I against South Africa, the Uttar Pradesh has shown he can still deliver the good. With the work in T20I done, the 31-year old has set his sight on a spot in the ODI set-up. In fact, he is so confident that he feels it is only a matter of time before he make it to India’s ODI side.

“Just a matter of a couple of games there, I can assure you that I am going to be there very soon,” promised Raina at the post-match press conference. “I worked really hard for two years. Each and every session, I was doing in the gym, on the field, I was just (thinking) when I am going to play for India again. I think God helped. Thanks to my wife, my kid to make me believe I can go there and wear the jersey again. That’s what I think the Indian team does. When you make a lot of sacrifices in your life and at the same time you enjoy your game, (it works out). I worked really hard on my game and my mental toughness.”

An integral part of the limited-overs team not very long ago, Raina fell down the pecking order in the last couple of years.

The left-handed batsman has not played in One-Day Internationals since October 2015. Raina was recalled for the ODI series against New Zealand in 2016 but did not play a single game due to illness.

With the World Cup not very far away, India will be desperate to get a solid middle-order batsman who could finish the innings.  The vacancy might open up the door for Raina to make his much-anticipated return to ODI cricket.

“It is very important for me. From here we play in Sri Lanka and then we have IPL also coming up. And I was part of the World Cup before. I won the WC in 2011 and played first World Cup that I played, I’ve got the trophy in my house, that’s an unbelievable feeling. Coming back to one-day spot, I think I’ve done well at No. 5,” he said.

Raina further lauded the team and Virat Kohli after the triumphant T20 series. India defeated the hosts by 7 runs in the third T20I to win the series 2-1 and end the tour on a high.

“First of all congrats to India for the way we played in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. We showed what we can achieve as a team in South Africa. The confidence in the dressing room gave us the license to enjoy ourself on the ground and express ourselves. That’s why we won this game so beautifully. The way we bowled in the (first) six overs – Bhuvi, Bumrah, Pandya… I think T20 cricket is all about how you put your attitude on the field, and that showed today,” he said.

He also thanked his skipper Virat Kohli for showing faith in him.

“I think when India wins, everything looks nice. The way Virat led the team in the last two months, I think it showed he cares for each and every person. Batting at 3, he was brilliant in 20-20, and gave me the license to go after all the bowlers. I think that showed faith in me. At the same time, I enjoyed batting with Shikhar (Dhawan). He made me more comfortable, and he was telling me ‘just look to enjoy yourself, look to express (yourself)’, that’s what we’ve done in the first six overs,” he said.

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