I can be India's number four in T20Is: Suresh Raina
What's the story
Veteran cricketer Suresh Raina is eyeing a return in the Indian cricket team for the ICC World T20 in 2020. Raina, who has had a successful career playing for Team India, last played for the side in 2018. He was dropped for his inconsistency after making a comeback earlier. Raina is now wanting to be the force at number four for India. Here's more.
Raina return
Raina made a return after a gap of one year
Raina had lost his place in the Indian cricket team after the three-match T20I series against England at home. He returned back to Team India after a period of one year in the T20Is against South Africa. Raina got some decent scores since his return but the run in ODIs hampered his chances of cementing a place. He last featured against England last year.
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Raina recovering from a knee injury
Raina is currently recovering from a knee injury. He last featured in the 12th edition of the IPL. He is expecting to return by November 2019. "Basically my left knee was cleaned up. I expect to be back playing in November," Raina told Sportstar.
Options
The middle order options for Team India
At the moment, Team India is trying out different options in that number four. Rishabh Pant has been tried but the results haven't come. Shreyas Iyer is an interesting option as he did pretty well in the ODIs against Windies. He is currently batting at number five. Manish Pandey is in the mix as well. KL Rahul provides his versatility and is another option.
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Raina aiming to make a comeback
"I can be the No. 4 for India. I have batted in that slot before and delivered. I am looking forward to an opportunity with two T20 World Cups coming up," added Raina.
Our take
Can Raina get a chance in this Indian side?
It will be a Herculean task for Raina to make a return to the team. A lot will depend on his form and the string of consistent scores. If he can score immensely, then that will keep him in the radar. Also, Raina needs the current number four options to fail. With all his experience and offerings, Raina could be an interesting choice.