Not so long ago Suresh Raina was the blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket, especially during the reign of MS Dhoni. But now, Raina has fallen from grace and does not figure among the 32 centrally contracted players, announced by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yesterday
Suresh Raina
Not so long ago Suresh Raina was the blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket, especially during the reign of MS Dhoni. But now, Raina has fallen from grace and does not figure among the 32 centrally contracted players, announced by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yesterday.
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Raina was an integral part of Team India during the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. He was a vital cog in Dhoni’s scheme of things with his late-order batting, part-time off-spin and electric fielding. But things have gone downhill from there.
Raina got married in April 2015, within days after returning from the World Cup. His focus shifted, and he got more involved with the family, more so after the birth of daughter Gracia.
The southpaw has also talked about his keenness in setting up a business rather than continue playing. So, it is not surprising that Raina, who was in Group B last year, was not considered good enough for a Group C contract this time.
"His priorities have changed after he became a family man. I have noticed that he has not been concentrating on his game. He has become a reluctant cricketer. He just played three Ranji matches for UP this season and didn’t turn out for Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare tournaments," said a former UP Ranji coach who did not want to be identified. "With so many youngsters on the horizon, his chances of a comeback into Indian Test or ODI teams are bleak. He can still eye the T20s, but it will depend a lot on his IPLâÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088form where he will lead Gujarat Lions again," added the coach.
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