Here is why Suresh Raina is India’s most valuable T20 player: Undoubtedly Suresh Raina is the most valuable player in the shortest format of the game. He can make a great impact with his presence in the team. An all-rounder, he is useful with the bat, with the ball and on the field.
He has the capability to score big and fast. He can also save many runs in the field and also ‘roll over his arms’, as and when needed.
Raina has batted in different positions and has found success each time.
| Position | Innings | Runs | Average | No. | HS | 100s | 50s | 6s | 4s | |||
| No. 3 | 15 | 471 | 36.23 | 2 | 101 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 42 | |||
| No. 4 | 6 | 148 | 29.60 | 1 | 39 | – | – | 6 | 12 | |||
| No. 5 | 9 | 148 | 21.14 | 2 | 38 | – | – | 3 | 17 | |||
| No. 6 | 10 | 216 | 36.00 | 4 | 45 | – | – | 8 | 18 | |||
| Overall | 40 | 983 | 31.71 | 9 | 101 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 89 | |||
He has been very effective batting at No 3. His average of 36.23 at that position is quite an impressive one. The No 3 position also gives him the opportunity to face more deliveries, so that he can plan and pace his innings.
At that position, he also gets an opportunity to anchor the innings and keep the score board moving. Raina also has registered a century playing at No 3. The century came in the match against South Africa in one of the league game in the T20 World Cup 2010 edition.
Team India, currently in Australia, take on the hosts for a three-match T20I series, the first of which is to be played on 26th January, 2016, at the Adelaide Oval.
In the backdrop of a dismal performance in the ODI series, they would want to ‘turn the tables’ on the Aussies and Raina is one player who is capable of doing it.
The Indian batting would greatly evolve around him. Dhoni and Raina have established many partnership records and both have been great finishers of the game.
Hopefully the coming together of the duo would augur well for Team India in the T20I series and help set the records straight.
