Suresh Raina is an experienced player, his performance will improve: Stephen Fleming

Chennai Super Kings’ head coach Stephen Fleming hoped for Suresh Raina to improve his performances in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League. The latter, CSK’s all-time leading run-scorer in the IPL, hasn’t had the campaign he would have expected to have. After missing the season in 2020, Raina has scored 157 runs in 2021 at an average of 19.62.

He’s also lost his No.3 slot at the Super Kings where he has notched a plethora of runs for over a decade since 2008. On Thursday, the southpaw scored two runs against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at a stage when CSK needed to score at just around a run-a-ball. Fleming said that the Super Kings have assigned him a role and backed him to play aggressive cricket.

We value his experience, says Stephen Fleming

“We’ve got a pretty clear role for him. He has got an optimal time that we want him to bat, and we’re afforded the luxury of having a player that can come in and be aggressive. So, it’s just getting the timing right with that and managing the batters around him,” Fleming was quoted as saying in the post-match press conference.

“We value his experience and we think he’s got a part to play through the middle, which is an area that we’ve identified we can make a strength. Suresh is an experienced player, who has earned a bit of leeway. I expect as the tournament goes on, his performances will improve,” he mentioned.

On September 30, CSK became the first team to qualify for the playoffs in the 2021 IPL. Subsequently, the Sunrisers were also shown the door of elimination in the tournament.

Fleming, in the meantime, also said that cut-throat competition with Sam Curran for the all-rounder’s slot has prompted Dwayne Bravo to up his game.

“Sam was excellent for us in the first part. And Dwayne Bravo has come back now, the champion that he is, so there’s some really good competition around that allrounder’s spot,” Fleming added.

Bravo has picked up 11 wickets from seven games this season at an economy rate of 6.56. In the second leg of IPL 2021, the West Indies pacer has taken eight wickets from three games.

The Super Kings are next scheduled to face the Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, October 2 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.