Hardik Pandya: Suresh Raina backs Indian all-rounder to win Man of the Tournament in 2019 Cricket World Cup

Dixit Bhargav | 28/05/2019
Hardik Pandya: Suresh Raina backs Indian all-rounder to win Man of the Tournament in 2019 Cricket World Cup

Suresh Raina backs Indian all-rounder: Axed batsman was wax lyrical about Hardik Pandya ahead of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

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.

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.

Post Edited By: Dixit Bhargav
Hardik Pandya icc cricket world cup 2019 India MS Dhoni Suresh Raina

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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