RCB veteran Virat Kohli recently on Jio Cinema’s show shared a touching story about his early cricketing days and how Suresh Raina played a big role in shaping his successful career. In a friendly chat on JioCinema, Kohli talked about how Raina’s encouragement and belief in him made a big difference.
The story goes back to 2008 when both Kohli and Raina were on the Indian Emerging Cup team in Australia. Kohli was finding it hard to find his groove, not making much impact in the middle order. It was then that Raina, who had joined the team later as a leader, noticed Kohli’s batting skills during practice and saw something special in him.
Impressed by Kohli’s talent, Raina asked him a simple question that changed everything: “Why aren’t you playing?” Recognizing Kohli’s potential, Raina suggested something bold – he asked Kohli if he’d be up for opening the batting.
Kohli, eager to prove himself and ready to take on any challenge, agreed to Raina’s idea, even though the coach hadn’t thought of using him as an opener before. This decision turned out to be a game-changer as Kohli went on to score a fantastic century against New Zealand while opening the innings.
Dilip Vengsarkar, who was a selector back then, saw Kohli’s brilliant performance and decided to give him more opportunities, realizing the huge potential Raina had noticed earlier.
Here is the video:
Clip from the interviewpic.twitter.com/LLa02wVPUt
— Crypto Cricketer (@cricketcoast) May 18, 2024
Kohli expressed his gratitude to Suresh Raina, thanking him for believing in him and giving him a chance to shine. Raina’s ability to spot talent and his support for a young Kohli played a crucial role in unlocking Kohli’s true potential, eventually making him one of the best batsmen of modern times.
IPL 2024: RCB vs CSK Match Updates
If Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bat first, they need to win by at least an 18-run margin. For instance, if they score 200 runs, they must limit Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to 182 or fewer. This requirement remains the same even in a five-over match: if RCB scores 75, they must restrict CSK to 57 or less, or else CSK advances.
If RCB chases and CSK sets a target of 200, RCB must reach 201 with 11 or more balls remaining. If RCB hits a six when they’re at 200, they can complete the chase with up to 8 balls to spare. However, chasing gets tricky in a shortened match. For example, if the target is 75 in a five-over game, RCB must chase it down in 3.1 overs to improve their net run rate above CSK’s.
When: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2024, May 18, 19:30 IST
Where: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
