Suresh Raina, the Indian left-handed middle-order batsman and occasional off-spin bowler said that he has learned how to remain calm in the face of pressure from Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Although Raina has not been included in the Indian ODI team for the Australian tour, he is considered to be an important player for the shortest format of the game. Raina does seem ready for the three-match T20 series and believes that it will be preparatory series for team India before the ICC World Cup T20 which the blues will be playing on home soil come March. He also believes that a win in Australia will help in boosting the confidence of the Indian side.
The 29-year-old said, “I am looking forward to playing against Australia and I’m keen to do well there. It is a big tournament for us. We have done really well in T20 cricket. I think it is important to win those three games in Australia and get back our confidence before we come to India.”
Staying calm helps in enhancing performance is something Suresh Raina now believes in. He says that he has picked up this attribute from MS Dhoni and is thankful to him. Raina further said, “I always believed T20 is about intent. It is very important to think positive in all the 40 overs, whether you batting, fielding or captaining the side. Results will follow. You need to calmly handle everything, which is what I learnt from MS (Dhoni) and other senior players. It’s important to know your strength and how you want to do well on the field.”
Raina is currently playing for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where they extended their victorious run after a nine-wicket win over Jharkhand in the Super League phase of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2015-16, at the Bandra-Kurla Complex Ground in Mumbai on Friday. With this they remain unbeaten so far in the tournament. Having won the toss, Raina the skipper of the Uttar Pradesh team had taken the decision to field.
When time came for Raina to bat, Uttar Pradesh was already close to winning and the skipper only had to fetch a few couples and a few boundaries to see his team through.
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