New Delhi [India], Aug 17 : India all-rounder Kedar Jadhav paid tribute to Suresh Raina, who announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, saying he is a ‘packet full of energy’ with ‘power-hitting’ and ‘sharp fielding’ skills.Jadhav termed Raina an absolute team man and wished him for a post-retirement stint. Taking to Twitter Jadhav wrote, “A packet full of energy, Power hitter, Sharp fielder and absolute team man @SureshRaina3, always a pleasure playing by your side brother. Wish you all the best for your future endeavours!”
Following Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s footsteps, Raina called it a day after former skipper announced his retirement on Instagram on Saturday night.Jadhav and Raina will now play together for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League’s 2020 edition, slated to begin from September 19 in the UAE.
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. He got out on a duck in that match, however, over the years, the southpaw has managed to turn his career around to become one of the finest white-ball cricketers. 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. Besides his batting records, each time Raina was on the field, the opposition was always reluctant to run when the ball used to go to him, and the cricketer rarely missed any catches.
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A packet full of energy, Power hitter, Sharp fielder and absolute team man @SureshRaina3, always a pleasure playing by your side brother. Wish you all the best for your future endeavours! pic.twitter.com/nKrEEI1b4K
— IamKedar (@JadhavKedar) August 16, 2020
Mahibhai I have learnt a lot from you about cricket and life in whatever time I was able to play and spend with you !
You have inspired and influenced so many players including me and our careers. ?It was an absolute privilege and honour to have played cricket with you. pic.twitter.com/mfzV4rUcw5
— IamKedar (@JadhavKedar) August 16, 2020
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Always chirpy and bubbly on the field, he has always been a team man. The left-handed batsman scored 5,615 runs in ODI cricket at an average of 35.31. He 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.
