Arguably India’s finest T20 batsmen and middle-order specialist, Suresh Raina, has been out of competitive cricket for some time. The veteran player had a knee surgery in August last year, and now he’s hoping to make a comeback in the national side on the grounds of his performance in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).
The left-handed batsman was India’s go-to player a few years back, but due to his inconsistent performances and injuries, he was left out of the squad. But now, Raina has expressed his desire of playing the T20I World Cup scheduled to take place in Australia later this year.
The 33-year-old said that his hopes are still alive to make a comeback in the Indian team, but it depends on his performance in the IPL. Raina also believes he has 2-3 years of cricket left in him. He has recently joined Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) training camp to start preparations for the upcoming season of the cash-rich league.
“I have always enjoyed my cricket, irrespective of where I play. I have not set any targets right now. If I am able to do well in the IPL, I will be able to understand how I am shaping up. I have played enough to know what the situation demands,” Raina was quoted as saying by Times Now.
“My T20 World Cup hopes depend on my performance in the IPL. If I can make my knee strong and have a good IPL, then I know that I have another 2-3 years of cricket left in me. There are two back-to-back T20 World Cups. I have done well in T20 cricket,” added Raina.
Raina has played 193 games in the lucrative league and scored 5368 runs – the most for his franchise. He is also the second player after Virat Kohli to reach 5000-run milestones in the history of IPL.
In 78 T20 internationals, the south-paw has smashed over 1600 runs with one hundred and five half-centuries to his name. Raina last played a T20I match against England on July 8, 2018.
