Rahul Dravid lauds Suresh Raina for his outstanding contribution to Indian Cricket

Rahul Dravid heaped praise on Suresh Raina after he announced his retirement from international cricket. It so happened that 'Chinna Thala' decided to call it a day from the highest level moments after his former Indian and current CSK skipper, as well as bestie Mahendra Singh Dhoni, had bid adieu to international cricket on Saturday evening. In fact, it was under Dravid's captaincy that Raina had started his international cricketing career in 2005 (during a tri-series in Sri Lanka that also involved West Indies).

'Fantastic': Rahul Dravid

“Suresh Raina really was one of those young, exciting talents who was coming through the system in the middle of the 2000s - 2004, 2005. Playing U-19 cricket and doing very well. You could see even at that time that Suresh was going to be a very, very important player for India. And that is really how it played out in the last decade and a half,” said Dravid while interacting on a video that was posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)on their official Twitter handle.

“A lot of the success that India has had in white-ball cricket. A lot of the great memories. Suresh has been a part of them. I think his contribution to Indian cricket, especially in the white-ball game, has been fantastic. He is a World Cup winner, he is a Champions Trophy winner and just the fact that he contributed so much on the field. Just the energy and the enthusiasm he brought, the way he raised the standard of the fielding,” the former Indian skipper added.

Suresh Raina: When Team India's decorated No.4 batsman went into oblivion

Raina had last played for India in the away limited-overs series against England in 2018. The UP cricketer was an integral part of Team India's 2011 World Cup as well as ICC Champions Trophy 2013 triumphs and was a regular member on the national side. However, his weakness against the short-ball, a slump in form, and injuries meant that he did not find a place in the squad.

The southpaw has scored over 5,600 ODI runs and 1,605 T20 runs for the Men in Blue. The left-handed batsman was regarded as Team India's permanent number 4, a position following his snub created a void. The 33-year-old mostly played under MS Dhoni and also accompanied his skipper in IPL as he played for the CSK. Raina is also the first batsman to have 5000 runs in the IPL. 

Suresh Raina calls it a day

Moments after MS Dhoni announced his retirement on Saturday, Suresh Raina also made his announcement on Instagram. Sharing a picture with his CSK squad including skipper MS Dhoni, Raina wrote, "It was nothing but lovely playing with you, MS Dhoni. With my heart full of pride, I choose to join you in this journey. Thank you, India. Jai Hind!"

READ: 'He Is Fairly Young': Aakash Chopra On Suresh Raina's Retirement From Int'l Cricket