“It was because of Sachin that we won the World Cup,” says Suresh Raina

Raina also talked about playing for CSK and about his family.

Indian team made Sachin Tendulkar’s dream of becoming a World Champion come true in 2011, when they won the world title at home, beating Sri Lanka in a thrilling final in Mumbai on April 2^nd.

The whole country rejoiced and the team did it for the great man, who was playing his sixth World Cup, a record in itself. One member of that champion team was Suresh Raina, who contributed much in the later stages of the tournament.

"Sachin and Virat, they both score a lot of hundreds, Virat wants to win every game. And Sachin wants to make sure everything is very calm," Raina said talking about the World Cup success.

Suresh Raina goes back to the knock which is 'one of his best moments' for India

He, however, felt that Men in Blue won the tournament because of Sachin Tendulkar, who instilled a belief in the whole team that they could go all the way.

"With Sachin, it's always about his calmness. It was because of Sachin that we won the World Cup. He was the guy who made everyone in the team believe that we can do that, He was like the second coach in the team. And Virat, he has been amazing in all formats. He has been a very good captain. He has been hitting the ball very well. He is very fit, very positive and he has the aura around him. I am glad I have played with both of them,” Raina said.

Raina was due to play for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2020, which was suspended indefinitely due to the Coronavirus pandemic. "I do miss IPL. There are a lot of emotions about the Chennai team in the IPL. But we need to see the situation now and we have to be practical," said the 33-year-old batsman.

Talking about the newest addition in his family, Raina said, “God has been really kind. The baby is healthy. Now because of the lockdown, I am spending time with my son, my daughter, and my wife. As you know, we need to take a lot of precautions now. A lot of things are happening in the world. So peace to all. We just need to be very sensible now. I hope we get it done really quickly and we all have a normal life."

(Khaleej Times inputs)