Indian cricketer Suresh Raina, who is currently dropped from the national team, has blamed team management for not giving him enough opportunities. He also commented on the captaincy of current Team India skipper Virat Kohli.
The middle-order batsman Raina last featured with Team India in 2018 when they toured England to play the limited-overs’ series. After the England tour, Raina didn’t find his place in the playing XI.
Moreover, he got ignored for the World Cup 2019 when the team management was looking for the middle-order batting options. But now its more difficult for him to gain the place in the team as the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Kedar Jadhav somewhat form the core of India’s middle-order.
Suresh Raina takes a dig at team management, Virat Kohli:
And now, while speaking to TOI, Raina vent out his frustration against team management over his snub. Raina recalled how Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni backed him. Further added, skipper plays an important role in building a player’s confidence.
“For any newcomer, it is important to get a lot of opportunities. I was lucky to play under Rahul Dravid when I came in. He gave me a lot of opportunities. Then I played under MS Dhoni, who understood my game. When Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) get out, there is so much pressure on the middle-order. You face different situations all the time when you are playing in those slots. I used to believe in myself. The skipper too has an important role to play,” Suresh Raina told The Times of India.
Need to give assurance to the players: Suresh Raina
Raina has also suggested the solution to solve the middle-order problem in Team India. He opined that it is important that youngsters get support from the skipper.
“The support of the captain and team management will definitely solve this middle-order drama. You can’t expect (Shreyas) Iyer and (Rishabh) Pant to score big runs in every game. You have to give them the assurance that they will not be dropped,” said Suresh Raina.
Meanwhile, Chennai Super King’s (CSK) Raina will be seen in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the IPL 2020 edition.