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[Watch] When Ravi Ashwin Recalled Suresh Raina’s Critical Role In 2011 World Cup Win

image-lpgwduigSuresh Raina with Yuvraj Singh at the 2011 World Cup (x.com)

Suresh Raina was one of the cogent forces behind India’s historic 2011 World Cup triumph at home. The cricketer came up clutch with the bat in crunch games against Australia and Pakistan in team’s lead up to the final.

However, captain MS Dhoni, soon-to-be-retired Sachin Tendulkar, player of the tournament Yuvraj Singh, leading wicket-taker Zaheer Khan and dashing number three Gautam Gambhir garnered much of the laurels for their performances throughout the tournament.

While Raina’s contributions have often been overlooked, his ex-teammate and active all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin recently highlighted his vital role. Ashwin recalled Raina’s batting performance in India’s crucial knockout fixtures, where he scored decisive 30s against Australia and Pakistan in successive games at one point.

Ashwin praises 2011 World Cup unsung hero Suresh Raina

Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the vital members of India’s 2011 World Cup triumph at home, shares a great camaraderie with fellow national and CSK zealot Suresh Raina. Prior to the launch of the 2023 World Cup, Ashwin interacted with prominent cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle where the two recalled memories of India’s historic win at the 2011 event.

The legendary all-rounder underscored Raina’s contributions to the team’s World Cup win, citing his high-pressure match-winning innings against Australia and Pakistan in the quarter-final and semi-final of the tournament. He said:

“We were in trouble against Australia in the quarter-finals, we were in trouble against Pakistan in the semi-finals in Mohali, but Suresh Raina changed those games. We speak about Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, but in haste we cannot forget what Suresh Raina did in that World Cup.”

Rajasthan Royals re-shared an excerpt from Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube video on Suresh Raina’s 37th birthday on November 27, 2023.

Wishing the former Indian batsman, the inaugural IPL winning franchise described him as a complete “team man”.