IPL 2018: Srikkanth's crucial advice for struggling Suresh Raina

The way MS Dhoni handles his spinners during the Power play is a treat to watch, says Srikkanth.

Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni during net session | The Hindu

Former Indian skipper Kris Srikkanth on Tuesday admitted that Suresh Raina has been one of the key factors in the success of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) over the years, but now he should have made some changes in his style to destroy any attack he faces. 

Raina, who bats at the No.3 position, has been an aggressive batsman in the T20 format of the game, but he failed to settle himself down on the field during CSK’ narrow 1-run win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2018 opener on Saturday (7 April).

The 31-year-old T20 specialist batter, who has the ability take the match away from any opposition team in a very short time, was not seen in his form in the season opener, played only after 6 deliveries.

Since 2017, the left-hander made his comeback to the Indian Team in January 2018 for South Africa tour, where his scores read 15, 31, 43, 1, 28, 27, 47 and 0 all at a strike-rate of 141.7. Raina also failed to score in CSK's opening game against the Mumbai Indians scoring just 4.

Following his poor form with the bat, Srikkanth advised Raina that he should give himself some space in the initial phase of his innings before unleashing his range of shots in order to set himself on the field, as well as, stay on the field as long as possible.

In his column for Times of India, Srikkanth wrote, “Over the last decade, Suresh Raina's form has been one of the key factors in the success of Chennai Super Kings. CSK are a different unit when Raina comes to the party. My observation of Raina since his comeback into the national T20 scheme of things is that he needs to give himself a few more deliveries to settle down in the middle before unleashing his range of shots.”

He further explained, “I feel he is rushing through his strokes a touch early. It was evident on a few occasions in his recent international T20s and now in the IPL opener against Mumbai Indians, too, he tried to be aggressive from the start. If he can give himself some space in the initial phase of his innings, then he can go on to destroy any attack.”

Now, CSK is all set to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Chennai on Tuesday (10 April) after narrowly beaten defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the tournament opener. He praised MS Dhoni saying the way “he handles his spinners during the Powerplay is quite a treat to watch.”

Srikkanth signed off by saying, “MS Dhoni & Co are back to Chepauk for their clash against KKR. Dhoni has always been a master tactician while operating his spin resources on tracks that offer assistance for the tweakers. The way he handles his spinners during the Powerplay is quite a treat to watch and his knowledge of the Chepauk pitch would be a big advantage.”

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 10 Apr, 2018

    Share Via