Opportunity lies ahead of Suresh Raina to prove his mettle in this year's IPL

This could be the make or break season for the IPL’s ultimate superstar, the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) couldn’t pose a better opportunity for Suresh Raina to seal a spot in India’s limited-overs set-up. After being retained by the Chennai based franchise earlier this year, Raina did earn a call to India’s T-20 setup after a gap of one year. His few knocks of 40s against South Africa and Bangladesh did show glimpses of the hunger that still seems prevalent in the left-handed batsman.

There’s no denying the fact that Raina has been the champion player when it comes to T-20 cricket and especially in IPL. His exploits with the bat in the ten glorious years of IPL makes his stand out from the rest. The Mr. Dependable for the men in yellow is ecstatic to reunite with his old franchise and would look to count on this edition as the stepping stone for his collaboration with the Indian team before the World Cup next year.

CSK begin practice ahead of the new season

It was the first day at nets for the men in yellow that saw the likes of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo and many others getting back to the routines at Chepauk. The few exciting fans who had their eyes on Raina cheered every shot of his, as it brought a sense of satisfaction in seeing their match-winner returning to the fold. The other middle order batsmen, Ambati Rayudu who will be making his debut for CSK this year, mentioned about what Raina brings to the table.

“I think it’s the element of surprise Raina carries in his batting that makes him stand out. When bowlers don’t expect him to score or hit a delivery, he somehow manages to put it away for a four or six. We have suffered at his hands several times,” Rayudu said on the sidelines of a Star Sports show Game Plan.

There’s still a lot left in him

The director of cricket operations for CSK, VB Chandrasekhar who was associated with the team in the inaugural edition in 2008, reckons there’s still a lot left in the elegant batsman. In his views,  “Raina is far from being finished as a cricketer. He doesn’t always need to be explosive. There is a factor called experience which helps. With experience on his side, he will be motivated to complete matches. I think he will look to stay on and finish games,” the 56-year-old told TOI.

VB believes in the all-round abilities that he possesses would certainly help his cause. “He is also an outstanding athlete”. He is an influential figure who can turn the game in quick time, though it is necessary for the veteran cricketer to deliver via consistent performances given the critical stage of his career which he is, that won’t offer him many opportunities to bounce back with an eye already on the ticket to London for the next year’s World Cup.