Suresh Raina backs Indian all-rounder: Axed batsman was wax lyrical about Hardik Pandya ahead of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
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Axed India batsman Suresh Raina recently eulogized about India all-rounder Hardik Pandya ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. In a recent interview with India Today, Raina highlighted Pandya’s all-round skills and expects him to be a game-changer in the upcoming tournament.
Suresh Raina backs Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya
“He [Hardik Pandya] can field and bat well, can bowl 6-7 crucial overs. He can bat anywhere. He needs to get a lot of confidence from the management to express himself. If he can take his IPL confidence to the World Cup, he will be our game-changer,” Raina was quoted as saying.
From cheering and celebrating India’s World Cup triumph in 2011 to representing #TeamIndia in World Cup 2019, it has been a dream come true 🏆🇮🇳 #cwc19 pic.twitter.com/6fDyB29y5r
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) May 24, 2019
The 32-year old cricketer didn’t really stop at this as he voiced his opinion regarding Pandya being the “most important player” for India in the tournament. “I think he will be the most important player for India in this World Cup. I won’t be surprised if he gets the man of the tournament, should we make the last-four,” Raina said.
As mentioned by Raina, Pandya is coming on the back of a stellar IPL season. In 16 matches, Pandya scored 402 runs at an average of 44.66 and a strike rate of 191.42. With the ball, the 25-year old cricketer dismissed 14 batsmen at an average of 27.85 and a strike rate of 18.21.
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On MS Dhoni
Other than Pandya, Raina was also vocal about former India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Being asked about Dhoni’s role, Raina explained how his presence aids captain Virat Kohli.
“His [Dhoni’s] role is still the same. He communicates with the bowlers from behind the stumps, coordinates the field placements. He’s the captain of the captains. Virat [Kohli] feels confident when Dhoni is behind the stumps. He has always acknowledged that,” Raina added.
