Generations will remember you, says PM Modi in letter to cricketer Suresh Raina

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also penned down a tribute for retiring Indian cricketer Suresh Raina – who joined MS Dhoni into retirement on August 15.

“When we play, we give our blood & sweat for nation. No better appreciation than being loved by people of this country & country’s PM. Thank you PM for your words of appreciation & best wishes. I accept them with gratitude: Suresh Raina (file pic) responds to PM’s letter to him,” Raina said.

In a tweet on Friday, Raina shared the letter of appreciation from PM Modi and wrote in the caption, “When we play, we give our blood & sweat for the nation. No better appreciation than being loved by the people of this country and even more by the country’s PM. Thank you @narendramodi ji for your words of appreciation & best wishes. I accept them with gratitude. Jai Hind!”
Recalling the initial days of Raina’s career, PM Modi wrote in the letter: “You have lived and breathed cricket. Your interest in the sport began early in life, in the by-lanes of Muradnagar and subsequently found feet in the playgrounds of Lucknow. There on, what an eventful journey it has been, culminating in the most important honour of representing India – a country you love deeply – in all three forms of the game.”

He further appreciated the spectacular fielding of the all-rounder and his batting, particularly, in the shortest format of the game.
“Generations will remember you not only as a fine batsman but also as a very useful bowler who the captain could turn to when the situation demanded. Your fielding was exemplary and inspiring. Some of the best catches in recent international cricket have your distinctive imprint. It would take days to count just the number of runs you have saved by your alertness on the field,” the letter read.

“As a batsman, you especially distinguished yourself across all mediums and particularly in the newest form of the game, the T-20 cricket. This is not an easy format. In tune with our times, it requires quick fixes in double-quick time. Again, your promptness and speed were assets for this form,” it added.

Reminiscing the 2011 World Cup and Raina’s “inspiring” role during the tournament, the Prime Minister said, “India can never forget your inspiring role during the 2011 World Cup, especially during the later matches. I saw you live in action at the Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad, during the Quarter Final against Australia. Your anchoring innings had a big role to play in our team’s victory. I can confidently say that most fans will miss seeing your elegant cover drives, one which I was lucky to witness live that day.”

PM Modi further said “Raina will always be synonymous with the team spirit” and wished him for his post-retirement innings.

When we play, we give our blood & sweat for the nation. No better appreciation than being loved by the people of this country and even more by the country’s PM. Thank you @narendramodi ji for your words of appreciation & best wishes. I accept them with gratitude. Jai Hind!?? pic.twitter.com/l0DIeQSFh5

— Suresh Raina?? (@ImRaina) August 21, 2020

Raina retires from international cricket

Left-handed batsman Suresh Raina on Saturday announced his retirement from international cricket.

Raina’s announcement came minutes after MS Dhoni’s decision to bid adieu to international cricket. “It was nothing but lovely playing with you, @mahi7781. With my heart full of pride, I choose to join you in this journey. Thank you, India. Jai Hind,” Raina wrote on Instagram. It was on July 30, 2005, when Raina made his debut for the Men in Blue. He went on to make his debut in an ODI match against Sri Lanka at Dambulla.In his first ODI, Raina did not have a good outing as he was sent back to the pavilion on a duck. But over the years, the left-handed batsman managed to change his fortunes to become one of the finest white-ball cricketers.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It was nothing but lovely playing with you, @mahi7781 . With my heart full of pride, I choose to join you in this journey. Thank you India. Jai Hind! ??

A post shared by Suresh Raina (@sureshraina3) on Aug 15, 2020 at 7:36am PDT

Raina is also the first Indian batsman to register centuries in all three formats of the game.
The 33-year-old has played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20Is for India. Raina also cemented his place as one of the best fielders ever to play the game for India.

With Raina on the field, the opposition was always reluctant to run when the ball used to go him, and the cricketer rarely missed any catches.

Raina, always chirpy and bubbly on the field, has always been a team man. The left-handed batsman scored 5,615 runs in ODI cricket at an average of 35.31.

The left-handed batsman also registered 768 runs in the longest format of the game with his highest score being 120.
In the shortest format of the game, Raina scored 1,605 runs at an average of 29.18.

He was also a part of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad and the batsman had played crucial knocks in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the tournament.

Raina would now be seen in action for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The tournament is slated to begin on September 19 in the UAE. Dhoni and Raina are popularly known as Thala and China Thala among the fans of the franchise.

Raina is also the second-highest run-getter in the history of the IPL, only behind Virat Kohli.

The batsman has played 193 matches in the tournament and has managed to score 5,368 runs at an average of 33.34.

(With inputs from Agency)