6 players for whom IPL 2020 is a must before ICC T20 World Cup 2020

Suresh Raina

In an interview with The Hindu in September 2019, India and Chennai Super Kings batsman Suresh Raina lad expressed his desire to bat at No. 4 for India in T20Is during the showpiece tournament in October-November.

With batsman Shreyas Iyer scoring 244 runs in eight T20Is at an average of 61 and a strike rate of 153.45 at No. 4 in the last year, Raina’s desire seems far-fetched.

That being said, the experienced southpaw can still fight for the finisher’s spot alongside many other contenders. Having last played for India during the tour of England in 2018, Raina will need to register stupendous form to qualify for selection in the national team.

Much like his Uttar Pradesh teammate in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Raina has also been severely affected by injuries in the recent past. From being among the first names in an Indian T20I side to being among the best all-time Indian fielders, 33-year old Raina making a comeback won’t be a mean task for him.

Raina, whose last competitive tournament was IPL 2019, wasn’t in his best form as him scoring 383 at an average of 23.93 was his second-worst IPL season in terms of number of runs scored. With no shortage in potential in this format, all Raina needs is heaps of runs to his name to knock the doors of the selectors.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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