Suresh Raina gets high-praise from Saurav Ganguly; prowess hailed alongside Dhoni, another

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday threw his weight behind Suresh Raina and stated that he has been one of the key performers for India in white-ball cricket. Ganguly's statement follows after Raina announced retirement on his international career. Raina decision came minutes after MS Dhoni's announcement of retirement.

In a press release issued by the BCCI, Sourav Ganguly said:

"Suresh Raina has been one of the key performers in limited-overs cricket for India. Coming lower down the order and playing some of the match-winning knocks requires a lot of skill and talent,"

"He along with Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni formed a solid middle order for India in ODIs. I wish him and his family all the very best," he added.

In addition, Jay Shah, secretary of the BCCI also congratulated the left-handed batter. Shah also stated that Raina is one of the finest to perform in the shortest format. 

"Suresh Raina has been arguably one of the finest T20 batsmen. A live wire on the field, Raina's prowess as a left-handed batsman was exhibited throughout his cricketing career," Jay Shah said.

"A big match player, Raina's cameo against Australia in the quarterfinal in the 2011 World Cup was a testimony to his glittering career that followed. I wish him all the very best in the second innings of his career," he added.

An ace fielder and a reliable bowler, Raina has been a part of 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20Is in an international career that has spanned for over 13 years. Raina, a member of the team that went on to win the World Cup in 2011, commenced his international career at the age of 18. Moreover, he also led India in several  ODIs and T20s at the age of 23. Raina has been the youngest player to lead the men's T20I side. Raina was also a member of the side that played in India's first-ever T20I.

Raina is also known as the first Indian player to score a century in the T20 World Cup. His captaincy saw India marking a 3-2 series victory in West Indies and a 2-0 win over Bangladesh in ODIs and a 2-0 T20I series win in Zimbabwe. Adding to his series of achievements, Raina is also known for having scored a century on debut in Tests. Also he is the first Indian to have hundreds in all three formats of the game and his centuries were scored outside India.

Along with MS Dhoni, Raina formed a formidable batting partnership in many matches. Both players have led India to cross the finish line on numerous occasions. The partnership scored 2421 runs for the fifth wicket, the most by a pair in ODIs for that wicket. Following their retirement announcement, both Raina and Dhoni will continue their stint with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), scheduled to commence from September 19 in the UAE. 

(With ANI Inputs)