The development in the Cricket-obsessed India which shocked many had Suresh Raina at center stage. The 35-year-old former Chennai Super Kings batter, who is the first Indian batter to hit a century in all three formats of international cricket, went unsold in the recently-held auction for 2022 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). Raina reacted to the development on IPL auctions and spending over a decade in Indian cricket in an interview with a leading daily.
“After 13-14 years, when your brand is developed, you don’t need to be told anything. You know what your legacy is, what your process is, and how the franchise needs to move forward,” Raina was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
Today’s youngsters are under lot of pressure: Suresh Raina
Reacting to the way the Indian Cricket changed since 2005 – when Raina made his International Cricket debut – the former Indian batter said that young cricketers now have different kinds of pressure. “After two-three series they find themselves under a lot of pressure. Back then, a coach had long-term vision for the team. Selectors used to trust the players; that you would be given five-ten matches. You knew that your captain would give you the time to groom when you were with the squad in two-three tours but not playing. That was a learning curve,” Raina said.
Well-rounded cricketers made India win 2007 World T20, 2011 World Cup: Raina
When asked if the presence of well rounded cricketers like himself who could not just bat but also bowl is lacking in team these days, Suresh said, “I think this is why we won the 2007 World T20, the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy.”
‘I don’t understand politics much’
Asked if joining politics will be his next step, Raina declines. “Cricket is my sole love. And I’ll stick to Cricket. It’s the sport I know and politics I don’t understand much. I want to become a good chef now, cook every cuisine well, and visit every place,” Raina told The Indian Express.
