Suresh Raina believes CSK has strong abilities: The IPL legend was confident of CSK’s players standing tall on the reputation this year as well.
Legendary Indian Premier League batsman Suresh Raina oozed confidence when he spoke about his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings’ prospects for IPL 2019.
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In an exclusive interview with Times Now, Raina opened up on the preparation before the cash-rich league and laid emphasis on Super Kings’ ability of ‘working as a team’ usually coming good for them.
“Going good, looking forward to the games. I have been focusing on my fitness and also spending quite some time at the nets for practice sessions. I think CSK has a strong ability to work as a team. We can hold on to long and solid partnerships. Also, we have cricketers with varied talents and that has worked in our favour,” Raina was quoted as saying.
Much like captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the only two years when Raina didn’t play for CSK was when the franchise was undergoing a ban. Other than that, Raina has been the focal point around which the entire batting unit has revolved since 2008.
Stellar IPL numbers
With 4,985 runs in 176 matches, Raina currently leads the charts when it comes to most runs in the IPL. An average of 34.37, a strike rate of 138.43, one century and 35 half-centuries further speak about Raina’s domination in the tournament.
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The fact that the southpaw has never scored less than 350 runs in an IPL season highlights his consistency in his 11-year old career. Being asked about Dhoni, Raina hailed the skipper’s ability to stay calm under pressure for so many years now.
“We’ve been able to adapt to each other’s cricketing styles pretty well. Having said that, MS Dhoni, has, of course, played an integral part in CSK’s journey to success, with his strategies & ability to stay calm under pressure,” Raina added.
Raina thanks CSK’s loyal fans
Apart from becoming the second IPL team to win the IPL title thrice last year, Chennai Super Kings also possess a loyalist fan base when it comes to receiving home support. While the 32-year old cricketer denied disclosing any dressing room secrets, he thanked CSK’s fans for their loyalty.
“What happens in the dressing room, stays in the dressing room [laughs]. Thank you for all that you do – the cheering and the loyalty. Everything. Keep spreading the #yellove,” Raina concluded.
