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In the early 2000s, former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif revolutionized the fielding department for the team.
Their athleticism, aggression and commitment were phenomenal. Also, the duo’s acrobatic catches in the inner ring are well-etched in the memory of ardent Indian cricket fans.
The two gave birth to an entire generation of remarkable fielders, such as Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma. In fact, Raina came into the limelight by affecting the run-out of Marvan Atapattu in his debut match against Sri Lanka, back in 2005.
One of the salient features of MS Dhoni’s captaincy was his emphasis on fielding and the importance of saving runs in the field.
Virat, on the other hand, has handpicked personnel who are supremely fit and athletic on the field. As a result, the Indian team boasts one of the best fielding units in world cricket today.
Raina, who himself was a lighting fielder, was recently quizzed about the five best fielders of the inner ring, ever produced in the game of cricket.
The recently retired cricketer, in conversation with Cricbuzz, first named Jonty Rhodes as the best backward point fielder.
No place for Kohli, Gibbs in Raina’s list:
Rhodes revolutionized the game of cricket with his single act of brilliance in the 1992 World Cup, while affecting the run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Then, Raina slotted in AB de Villiers at covers, along with Yuvraj Singh and Ravindra Jadeja patrolling the mid-on and mid-off region respectively.
For the position of mid-wicket, Raina elected legendary Ricky Ponting. Interestingly, there was no mention of gun fielders like Virat Kohli, Herschelle Gibbs, or Paul Collingwood, in Raina’s list of the five best inner-ring fielders.
In professional terms, Raina is scheduled to resume his stint with beloved Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
