The friendship between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and former India teammates MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina is well. In fact, Raina announced his retirement from international just minutes after Dhoni on August 15, 2020. The duo has been one of the major reasons for success for CSK over the years in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is still going strong in the 2021 season, with their franchise in the second position on the points table in the suspended league. Dhoni debuted for India in December of 2004, while Raina played his first ODI seven months later. In an interaction with News24 Sports, Raina revealed how Dhoni supported him during a critical phase in his career. “When I was injured in 2007, he only told me that you're too young to have surgery. Just take your time. He wasn’t even the captain then, but he was telling me things. I did not play for one and a half years due to the knee injury, and every second day he was checking on me, asking me what did the doctors say and what is the solution,” Raina was quoted as saying by News24 Sports.
Raina had suffered a serious knee injury, which ruled him out of the 2007 T20 World Cup and forced the southpaw to be bed-ridden for six months. Raina received support from everyone – Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, the BCCI, among others – but the former India batsman revealed it was Dhoni, who was there for him almost the entire time even before he became captain of the team, and how it was his presence that motivated him to get back out there.
As a player, teammate, brother, he was always very keen to know. So that really inspired me that I would represent India soon. I needed to work hard on my game, my knee. I didn't know if I would ever play for India again,” the former India batsman added. Suresh Raina, one of the world’s most successful T20 players, says that Virat Kohli is one of the finest captains India has ever seen. However, he says that it’s too early to pass judgment on his achievements, and Kohli needs to be given more time.
In an interview with News24, Raina said that Kohli is the No. 1 batsman in world cricket right now. He said, “I think he has been the No. 1 captain. His record proves that he has achieved a lot. I think he is the No. 1 batsman in the world. You’re talking about an ICC trophy, but he hasn't even won an IPL yet. I feel that he needs to be given some time. There are 2-3 World Cups taking place one after the other – two T20 World Cups and then the 50-over World Cup. It's not easy to reach the final – sometimes you miss out on a few things.”
Raina’s statement has come in the wake of India losing to New Zealand in the finals of the World Test Championship, recently concluded in England.
Despite being one of the brightest stars in all formats of the game, Kohli is yet to win an ICC tournament as captain. Though his winning percentage is better than legendary captains like MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly, his shelf is still waiting for an ICC trophy.
Raina also responded to many calling the Indian team ‘chokers’ after losing the WTC finale. He said, “we are not chokers because we already have the 1983 World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup, and then 50-over World Cup in 2011. We need to understand that players are training hard. With three World Cups approaching, I don't think anyone will call them chokers.”
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