Suresh Raina set to play in Buchi Babu 2017 tournament
What's the story?
The All-India Buchi Babu's latest edition, set to be held between September 2 and 15, might see Team India discards Suresh Raina and Mohit Sharma star for the TNCA's invitation tournament.
He confirmed his participation to Sportstar: “I will be in Chennai on September 1 for the Buchi Babu tournament,”
"He will play in the first two games for his side before going for his India Blue duties in Duleep Trophy," a TNCA official told The Times of India
In case you didn't know...
A total of twelve teams have been grouped into four batches, each having three teams. Matches are played in the format of one-innings-per-side, with a day's place lasting for 90 overs on a full day, and 50 overs on a rain-truncated day.
The top teams, who qualify from each team, will then progress to the semifinals, set to be hosted by SSN College and Pachaiyyappa's College. The winner of the tournament receives a prize money of Rs. 1,00,000, while the runners-up will get Rs.50,000.
The heart of the matter
Raina, who last played for India earlier this year, is the captain of the India Blue side for the upcoming Duleep Trophy that begins on September 7. He will represent the Uttar Pradesh side in the tournament, playing along with former India teammate Praveen Kumar. Raina was recently seen in the Moin Ud Dowla Gold Cup, but couldn't be seen much in action after bad weather stalled play.
Mohit Sharma, the 28-year-old pacer from Haryana, is also set to play in the tournament.
The tournament, set to be held across multiple grounds in the state, will see TNCA President's XI, TNCA City XI and TNCA Districts XI as some of the local Tamil Nadu teams. It is organised by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, along with Kalpathi S.Agoram.
What's next?
The 30-year-old, after captaining the India Blue side, will also play a charity game involving a World XI and a Sri Lanka side in September.
Author's Take
Raina, one of the mainstays of the Indian batting middle-order till the 2015 World Cup, lost out after the emergence of other younger competitors, who got into the side after the 30-year-old's loss of form and fitness.
Known for his strict, hardworking regimen and swiftness between the wickets and on the field, Raina can still make his way into the side if he manages to consistently perform well at the domestic level.