Suresh Raina picks Indian bowler as the most important fielder in 2023 World Cup
Former India batter Suresh Raina has picked left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav as the most important fielder in the 2023 World Cup. Praising Kuldeep for putting his body on the line, Raina added that it’s not an easy thing to do, considering that he is a bowler.
Apart from batting and bowling, there have been some brilliant fielding efforts as well in the ongoing ODI World Cup in India. The hosts have been among the most impressive fielding sides in the competition.
In a video on ICC, Raina, who was considered among India’s best fielders during his playing days, picked his favorite fielders at the 2023 World Cup.
“I would say Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell. Then you have Glenn Phillips, he has been taking a lot of good catches; caught and bowled.” Raina then went on to add, “And the most important fielder, Kuldeep Yadav. I think he’s putting a lot of body on the line. He’s been taking a lot of dives. I think, as a bowler, it’s not easy. He’s taking a lot of enjoyment in his fielding,” he said.
Kuldeep has taken a couple of very good catches during the World Cup. He has also been brilliant with some diving stops in the outfield.
When Raina hailed Rohit Sharma as the next MS Dhoni
A couple of weeks back, Raina made a big statement on current Indian captain Rohit Sharma, while praising his leadership skills. Hailing the leader for creating a friendly environment in the dressing room, he went on to compare Rohit with MS Dhoni.
“Whenever I used to talk with players they use to say Rohit has the same respect as Dhoni - Rohit has been very friendly in dressing room,” Raina was quoted as telling SportsTak.
“I would say he is the next MS Dhoni for the Indian cricket team. I have seen him, he is calm, he likes to listen, he likes to give confidence to the players and, on top of that, he likes to lead from the front. When the captain leads from the front and, at the same time, he gives respect to the dressing room atmosphere, you know you have it all,” the former India cricketer had added.
Raina played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20Is for India, scoring 768, 5,615, and 1,605 runs, respectively.