Disappointed Raina vows to let bat talk
day after reaching the milestone of scoring 4500 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Suresh Raina was disappointed after failing to make the cut in the 15-member Indian squad for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy.
“What can I say now? It’s really disappointing and hurting. I was expecting a comeback call this time,” Raina, Gujarat Lions skipper in IPL 2017, told HT here on Monday on his way to Kanpur for his team’s remaining two matches.
The 30-year-old left-handed batsman and part-time off-spinner was once praised for his calmness while chasing targets in ODIs, and the quality came to the fore when he and MS Dhoni saved India embarrassment against Zimbabwe at the 2015 World Cup.
He last played an ODI in the home series against South Africa in October, 2015.
“I have been performing well and consistently proving myself in the ongoing IPL season. Certainly, it is not on expected lines but I would let my bat do the talking as I am sure of my comeback in the India squad one day,” said Raina, who is among the five standby players.
With a strike rate of 95 and an average of 35 plus in ODIs, Raina is one of India’s most successful middle-order batsmen.
“Right now I am focusing on my remaining matches of the IPL. I will try to score as much as I can for the team’s victory,” said Raina, who scored 39 of 25 balls in the six-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab on Sunday. Two years out of the ODI side is a long time and for Mohammed Shami, it wasn’t just long, it was agonising too. The pace sensation, who was sidelined due to a knee injury right after the World Cup semifinal loss in 2015, also had to cope with a personal tragedy – his father’s demise.
Although he has played 10 Tests since returning from injury last year, bowling in the ODIs during Champions Trophy, for which he was picked on Monday, will require a different set of skills. Besides Shami, India have Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as pace options.
“Two years is a long time for any player. After recovering from injury, I have focused on