T20 World Cup 2021: "MS Dhoni's experience will benefit the Indian players" - Suresh Raina
Former India batter Suresh Raina believes the Indian cricket team will benefit immensely from MS Dhoni's vast experience during the impending T20 World Cup 2021.
After dazzling fans by leading the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) title, MS Dhoni's next assignment will be more of a behind-the-scenes one. The decorated cricketer has been roped in as a mentor for Virat Kohli and co. for their upcoming T20 World Cup campaign.
In an interview with Sports Tak, Suresh Raina stated that having MS Dhoni by their side will be an added advantage for the national team as they look to lay their hands on the coveted ICC trophy. He also seemed upbeat about Team India's chances at the showpiece event.
Raina said:
"The team environment is very good. MS Dhoni's experience will benefit the Indian players in the T20 World Cup."
The veteran batter also mentioned that the surfaces in the UAE will be conducive to spin bowling. He feels it is crucial for teams to play with positive intent in order to do well in such conditions.
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"We all know how well he's performed" - Suresh Raina on Team India captain Virat Kohli
As per Suresh Raina, the players' experience of playing in the recently concluded IPL season in the gulf country will also come in handy.
He emphasized Virat Kohli's contribution towards the success of the team and hinted that he is likely to play a major role in this competition as well.
Raina added that having the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja in the team could prove to be advantageous.
Apart from the aforementioned names, he reckoned mystery spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Varun Chakravarthy would be vital cogs for the side.
"We have Virat Kohli as captain and we all know how well he's performed. Then there is also Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur.
"We also have mystery spinners in the line-up. Varun Chakravarthy has an important role to play," added Raina.
The Virat Kohli-led side will open their T20 World Cup campaign on October 24 with their clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.
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