IPL 2016: Suresh Raina asks team to enjoy playing ahead of its debut
"Cricket is all about enjoying and expressing yourself. Enjoy playing irrespective of the team you are playing for," said Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina, ahead of their debut IPL appearance against Kings XI Punjab on Monday.
The former Chennai Super Kings batsman said that leading the franchise is nothing new to him, as he has previously captained Uttar Pradesh and the Indian team. "We have got a few guys who can surprise any team," said the left-hander.
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The team, owned by Intex Technologies Director Keshav Bansal, has Raina's former CSK teammates Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith and Ravindra Jadeja. Apart from them, South Africa's ace pacer Dale Steyn and Australian opening batsman Aaron Finch have also been bought by the franchise.
The team also has India's Under 19 captain Ishan Kishan and Saurashtra team's captain Jaydev Shah.
Our team is a balanced side
"All the players have done well in domestic circuit. Besides, the team has a good opening pair and strong middle order." he said.
He had previously expressed that playing for a new team is like leaving behind a home after eight years. However, Raina's poor form in the recently concluded T20 World Cup has brought in a lot of criticism for the 29-year old.
He had made just 41 runs in the five matches he played in the tournament, with a golden duck against Pakistan and one run against New Zealand.
The Kings XI team, which will be mentored by Virender Sehwag, will see David Miller as the captain instead of George Bailey and have included Indian pacer Mohit Sharma and all-rounders Farhaan Behardien and Marcus Stoinis in the team.
The team will be taking on Kings XI at Mohali in the third match of the IPL today.