Suresh Raina, the ex-Indian cricketer, shared his hope that Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) would secure victory in the IPL 2024. Despite reaching the finals three times before, RCB hasn’t clinched the trophy. In 2009, they lost to Deccan Chargers, and in 2011, they fell short against Chennai Super Kings. Their last final appearance, under Kohli in IPL 2016, ended with a loss to SRH in Bengaluru.
Virat Kohli is set to make a cricketing comeback in IPL 2024 after being inactive since the Afghanistan T20Is, missing the England Test series. Raina expressed his wish for Kohli and RCB to break their IPL jinx and finally lift the trophy this season. In an interview with the Times of India, Raina said, “I wish Virat Kohli and RCB lift the trophy. It is long overdue now. CSK won it last season too, but this year, I hope that the team who has never lifted the trophy should finally add one to their trophy cabinet. Virat has worked hard, and I think he deserves to win this time.”
The 37-year-old former cricketer also emphasized the importance of Kohli’s presence in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, citing the need for a player in the middle to handle pressure. Raina stated, “A blend of youth and experience will be key for India’s success in the Americas. Youth and experience are really important because I played in the Caribbean in the 2010 edition, and to bat on those wickets is not easy. You need someone to control the innings, he (Kohli) is the chase-master and knows how to handle pressure. Now we have players like (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, (Shubman) Gill, Surya (Yadav), and Rinku Singh who can back him and play fearless cricket from the other end.”
Turning his attention to the recent India vs. England Test match in Ranchi, Raina praised the young keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel. Jurel’s impressive performance, scoring 90 and an unbeaten 39 on a challenging day-four pitch, contributed to India’s five-wicket win and a 3-1 series lead. Raina highlighted Jurel’s “fearless attitude” on the field, attributing it to his Army upbringing. He also commended Rohit Sharma for providing opportunities to young talents like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel in Test cricket.
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