Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina believes that the Indian team will miss out on a key player, Suryakumar Yadav, in the upcoming Champions Trophy in Dubai. Suryakumar, an exciting middle-order batter, and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj are not part of the squad announced on Saturday. They are among six players, including Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan, and Ravichandran Ashwin, who won’t be playing. Ashwin has just retired from cricket.
Raina praised Suryakumar, calling him a “360 player” because he can score runs quickly from any position in the batting order. Raina mentioned that having Suryakumar would have added an “X-factor” to the team. With him missing, the pressure now falls on the top three batters, who are currently out of form.
Raina also expressed concern about Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness and emphasized that Siraj would have been a better fit for the squad, especially with Bumrah dealing with back problems. However, he thinks Siraj might still make it back into the team if needed, as squads can change up until February 12.
With Rohit Sharma leading the team, young star Shubman Gill has been named vice-captain. Raina thinks this is a smart choice because Gill has been performing well in ODIs and will benefit from Rohit’s guidance.
The pitches in Dubai are usually slow and spin-friendly, so Raina believes that spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and all-rounder Hardik Pandya will play important roles in the bowling lineup. With Bumrah’s situation uncertain and Shami returning from an injury, it will be crucial to see who partners with Kuldeep.
India has won the Champions Trophy twice—in 2002 (jointly with Sri Lanka) and in 2013. Raina is confident that Rohit and the team have what it takes to win again. He also supports Rishabh Pant as the main wicket-keeper, saying that Pant has improved his skills but needs to play more responsibly during matches.
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