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The clock is ticking down for the upcoming season of the glitzy Indian Premier League. With less than a month to go for the tournament opener, Suresh Raina, who was an integral part of Chennai Super Kings, lent his support to a different team this season!
Speaking on the sidelines of the Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL), Raina backed Royal Challengers Bangalore to break the IPL jinx and lift their maiden trophy.
CSK vs RCB rivalry – the Southern Derby, is one of the most awaited fixtures of the IPL calendar. Then why is former CSK player lending his support to RCB? The former Indian cricketer wants a team that has never won to lay hands on the trophy.
"I wish Virat Kohli and RCB lift the trophy. It is long overdue now, CSK won it last season too but this year I hope that the team who has never lifted the trophy should finally add
“Virat has worked really hard and I think he deserves to win this time," said Raina.
‘He’s the chase master, knows how to handle pressure’
Meanwhile, talking about the upcoming T20 World Cup, which is set to be held just after the IPL, Raina said that star Indian batter Kohli should be a part of the line-up.
The T20 World Cup is set to be held in June in the West Indies and the USA, and Raina said the team needs someone in the middle to soak up the pressure.
"A blend of youth and experience will be key for India's success in the Americas."
"Youth and experience is really important because I played in the Caribbean in the 2010 edition, to bat on those wickets is not easy. You need someone to control the innings, he (Kohli) is the chase-master and knows how to handle pressure.
"Now we have players like (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, (Shubman) Gill, Surya (Yadav) and Rinku Singh who can back him and play fearless cricket from other end,” signed off Raina.