Dhoni knew how to get the best performance out of me: Suresh Raina on his special bond with ex-India skipper

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KEY STORY

  • One of the finest left-handed batsmen in white-ball setup, former Indian all-rounder Suresh Raina has opened up about the special bond he shared with legendary MS Dhoni during his international cricket career.
  • Raina shares a great camaraderie with former Team India skipper Dhoni. While Raina is the most successful batsman for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Dhoni is the driving force of the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions.
  • During their respective international careers, Raina and Dhoni rescued Team India on numerous occasions by playing marauding knocks and forging match-winning partnerships.
  • Despite bringing glory to Team India during his bitter-sweet white-ball career, Raina faced criticisms about being a part of the Indian national team only because of his friendship with former skipper Dhoni.
  • Addressing the constant criticism he faced during his international career, Raina spoke at length about his rapport with Dhoni in his autobiography.
  • The CSK all-rounder said that he worked hard to earn his place in the Indian national side. Raina also opined that ex-skipper Dhoni knew how to get the best performance out of him.
  • “Dhoni knew how to get the best performance out of me, and I trusted him,” Raina wrote in his autobiography. “When people equate our connection with a spot for me in the Indian team, it hurts a lot. I’ve always worked hard to win my spot in Team India, just as I’ve earned Dhoni’s faith and respect,” the former Indian all-rounder added.

CONCLUSION

  • Former Indian all-rounder Raina has known legendary cricketer Dhoni for years. Raina made his international debut only a year after Dhoni announced his arrival in 2004.
  • Interestingly, when Dhoni called time on his international career on August 15, 2020, the legendary skipper was joined by Raina who also bid farewell to world cricket on the same day. Though Raina and Dhoni had announced international retirements last year, both stalwarts of the game continue to play franchise cricket by representing CSK in the IPL.

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