Suresh Raina Credits Former Indian Captains for His Comeback to the National Team

Team India middle-order batsman, Suresh Raina recently made a comeback to the national team. The southpaw was part of the T20I squad which toured South Africa early this year for a three-match T20I series.

His return was mainly possible due to his stupendous form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He looked in great touch which paved the way for his comeback.

Raina being on the sidelines of the national team was a point of debate for a long time. He was playing well in the domestic circuit. However, he was unable to break into the national team. It was reported he had failed to clear the yo-yo tests which have become a benchmark to feature in the side.

Despite his struggles, Raina managed to make a comeback with some brilliant performances. The southpaw credited his return to former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly. Raina last appeared for India way back in January 2016. He was subsequently sidelined from the team owing to his form and fitness issues.

However, he returned to form after a poor Ranji Trophy season. The stylish left-hander smashed 126 runs against Bengal in Kolkata. He also managed to clear the yo-yo tests. It eventually opened the doors of the Indian team ahead of the tour of South Africa, albeit only in the shortest format of the game.

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During an exclusive interview with the Times of India, Raina revealed it was a tough time for him when he was out of the national team.

However, his knock against Bengal changed things for Raina.

“It was an important knock (126* against Bengal). I was representing my state, and I hadn’t gotten among the runs. I was getting out on the first or the second ball, so scoring a hundred against Bengal in Kolkata came at the right time, and it was very pleasing,” he said.

Talk with Ganguly helped, says Raina 

Raina also credited Sourav Ganguly for his inspiring words ahead of the tour of South Africa and Sri Lanka. The southpaw recalled when he along with Harbhajan Singh visited Ganguly’s place for dinner.

“After the match, I and Harbhajan [Singh] went to Sourav Ganguly’s place for dinner. We had a discussion about how he made a comeback to the Indian team in 2006. I was in the same boat as his back then. That pep talk was extremely helpful, and luckily, I was drafted back into the T20 team and did well against South Africa and Sri Lanka,” Raina added.

Meanwhile, Raina is currently representing the Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. He has done well so far scoring over 300 runs at an impressive strike rate of 135. He has also retained his place for the T20I series in England and Ireland. The southpaw will now be very eager to make his comeback to the ODI ahead of the World Cup in England next year.

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