"You'd never see Rohit Sharma say something like this"- Suresh Raina criticizes RCB skipper Faf du Plessis for poor choice of word amidst IPL 2024
Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina didn't agree with the way Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis indirectly criticized Mayank Dagar's over after their loss to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) earlier in IPL 2024.
A Jos Buttler hundred proved to be the difference between the two sides as the veteran opener took Rajasthan over the line. The over that arguably gave him momentum was bowled by left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar within the powerplay.
After the game, Faf du Plessis told the host broadcaster that the over changed the momentum of the chase. Speaking to The Lallantop, here's what Suresh Raina had to say about Faf du Plessis and his criticism of Dagar:
"If you speak something like this about a junior in front of the press, it's not right. The captain himself hasn't been scoring runs. I've played with Faf for many years and he's a dear friend, but he should support the youngsters. You'd never see Rohit Sharma say something like this."
Raina believes Du Plessis shouldn't have had that conversation out in the open. While he had a bad start to IPL 2024 with the bat, a couple of half-centuries in his previous two matches have shown glimpses of Du Plessis returning to top form.
Suresh Raina on his cricket academy
In 2020, Suresh Raina Academy had combined with the J&K Sport Council to have trials in Jammu & Kashmir. The southpaw had a special reason to open his first academy in Jammu & Kashmir and explained why he felt there was a lot of untapped potential in cricket there.
"I wanted to open my first academy in Jammu and Kashmir because I know that there are many talented kids there. A lot of talent has come from there in domestic cricket, international cricket, and in the IPL. They are very passionate. The kids have bat and ball on the right side and AK47 on the left side. The easy option for them was the left one; there have been stone-throwing incidents as well. However, I wanted them to choose bat and ball," said Raina.
While Raina couldn't establish his academy in Jammu & Kashmir, his take on the state having talented cricketers is true with examples like Umran Malik and Abdul Samad popping up.