5 well-known Indian players who made debut under Suresh Raina’s captaincy

Team India has been one of the most successful cricket teams in international cricket and is considered a powerhouse in world cricket. The Men in Blue have registered so many cricket milestones and records which are almost impossible to break. Since the 1983 World Cup win under the great Kapil Dev, India has been unstoppable.

The Indian Cricket Team has seen some great captains who were known for transforming the team. The likes of Kapil Dev, Mohammed Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli are the well-known captains of team India. They have always been known for building a side that is known for dominating the other nations on the cricket field.

Alongside numerous great captains, some players also captained the team for a few matches and did well. One of such players is Suresh Raina. He captained the team in 12 ODIs and three T20Is and India won all three matches in the shortest format and six of the 12 ODIs under him. The least number of people know that many Indian cricketers made their international debut under Suresh Raina.

Here we bring you five players who made their debut under Suresh Raina:

1. Virat Kohli

Many fans have no idea that the run machine Virat Kohli made his T20I debut for India under Suresh Raina in 2010 against Zimbabwe. Kohli is considered the greatest cricketer of this generation. The things that he has achieved are not a cup of tea for most cricketers. He has been a match-winner for India across all formats for more than a decade.

On the 12^th of June 2010, he received his maiden T20I cap when he came to bat at number five and scored not out 26 runs. He did not look back since then, he was the man of the tournament in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cup and was the leading run-scorer for India in the 2012 T20 World Cup too. He is a master even in the shortest format.

King Kohli has now become the role model for the budding Indian cricketers and also around the world. The batting star has played 102 Tests, 260 ODIs, and 99 T20Is for India till now scoring 8074,12344, and 3308 runs respectively. As of now, he has scored 70 international centuries maintaining an average of almost 50 in all three formats.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli made their T20I debut in the same match. Ashwin is now a champion cricketer for India. He is the second most successful bowler for India in Test cricket after Anil Kumble and is now one of the senior members of the Indian Team.

The veteran off-spinner claimed one wicket and gave 22 runs in his four overs in his T20I debut. He was very economical and sharp while bowling. He used to be a regular feature for team India in white ball cricket too, but now he is mostly considered for the Test format. He is unplayable in the home conditions with plenty of his variations.

The senior pro has played 86 Tests, 113 ODIs, and 51 T20Is for India picking 442, 151, and 61 wickets respectively. He transformed himself from a street-smart T20 bowler into a classic Test veteran. He is a master of off-spin bowling. He becomes a nightmare for the left-handers in Tests while bowling on his own soil.

3. Amit Mishra

The master of the shortest format of the game, Amit Mishra has been a successful T20 bowler. Mishra made his T20I debut under Suresh Raina in 2010 in the same series against Zimbabwe in which Virat and Ashwin made their debuts. He is one of the most successful bowlers in IPL. Due to the problem of plenty, he could not play many games at the international level.

The leggie, seven years after his ODI debut, marked his arrival in T20Is against Zimbabwe on the 13^th of June 2010. He bowled an economical spell of 21 runs in his quota of four overs picking one wicket on his debut. It was unfortunate that despite having so much talent, he could never become a permanent member of team India.

The Delhi-born spinner played only 10 T20Is in his career picking 16 wickets. He also played 22 Tests and 36 ODIs for India picking 76 and 64 wickets respectively. Amit Mishra is a legend in IPL. He has played 154 IPL games till now picking 166 wickets at an average of 23.95.

4. Umesh Yadav

One of the fastest Indian pacers of the current lot, Umesh Yadav, has also been playing international cricket for a while. Umesh made his ODI debut under Suresh Raina. Umesh used to be an important part of the Indian pace attack, especially in Test cricket. He is fast in the air and can produce some breathtaking spells due to his extra pace.

The Vidarbha Express made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe on the 28^th of May 2010 under Suresh Raina’s captaincy. He went wicketless in the game and India eventually lost that game. The extra pace of Umesh has come handy for team India on a few occasions. He becomes dangerous if the pitch has help for the pacers.

The hardworking pacer has been a part of 52 Tests, 75 ODIs, and 7 T20Is for India claiming 158, 106, and 9 wickets respectively. He was an important part of the 2013 Champions Trophy-winning Indian side. He has had plenty of good days in Test cricket and would try to find his way back into the team soon.

5. Axar Patel

The promising all-rounder Axar Patel made his ODI debut for India against Bangladesh under Suresh Raina. Just after the completion of IPL 2014, India sent a second-string side to play the ODI series in Bangladesh under the captaincy of Suresh Raina. Axar Patel was named in the squad after his impressive performance in that IPL season.

The left-arm orthodox played his first ODI on the 15^th of June 2014 when he was just 20 years old. Axar picked the wicket of Mashrafe Mortaza and gave 59 runs in 10 overs on his ODI debut. He has been in and out of the Indian team since then. He has executed a few impressive performances while playing for India since his debut.

The 28-year-old has played 6 Tests, 38 ODIs, and 23 T20Is till now picking 39, 45, and 16 wickets respectively. Axar is a quality left-arm spinner and a reliable lower-order batter. Patel is an old-school left-arm spinner who consistently bowls at good line and length and put the opposition under pressure.