Player Profile: Suresh Raina

For a player to be compared to Yuvraj Singh, they must be a special talent and it says something about the current national line-up when a player of such quality has not managed to force his way into the India Test XI.

Raina joined a specialist government Sports College in 1999 in a bid to become a professional cricketer and the Indian selectors could not ignore him for long as aged 15 and a half he was chosen for the U-19 tour to England.

His reputation continued to grow at junior level where he frequently put bowling attacks to the sword, firing multiple double-hundreds. A consistent series of stellar performances had even the great Rahul Dravid unable to contain his excitement at witnessing such a prospect.

After touring Pakistan for the U-19 Asian ODI Championship he was selected for the 2004 U-19 World Cup, where he struck three half centuries, including a stunning 90 off only 38 balls.

Then, having been awarded a Border-Gavaskar scholarship to train at the Australian Cricket Academy he continued his run-fest, racking up 620 in six games, in the 2005-06 season, to help propel Uttar Pradesh to Ranji Trophy glory.

On 25 June 2008, he scored his maiden international hundred against Hong Kong during the Asia Cup. Eighty four against Pakistan and 116 off 107 against Bangladesh followed in his next two matches and he capped his sparkling performances by earning the man of the match award on all three occasions.

Raina has been unfortunate with Test selection. He has been in several squads but such has been the calibre of batsman ahead of him, the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly, has meant he is still searching for that elusive Test cap.

Batting aside, the 23-year-old is an exceptional fielder and is renowned for his ability to hit the stumps directly, from the infield. Aggressive batting coupled with outstanding athleticism in the field, mark Raina out as one-to-watch in the T20 World Cup.

March 18, 2010