Suresh Raina on Friday thanked PM Narendra Modi for his kind “words of appreciation” and “best wishes” following the Indian batsman’s retirement from international cricket.
Suresh Raina had announced his retirmenet from International cricket on August 15 after following the footsteps of his mentor & teammate MS Dhoni. Suresh Raina has also received a letter of Appreciation by PM Narendra Modi & posting the pcture of the same, Suresh Raina tweeted, “When we play, we give our blood & sweat for the nation. No better appreciation than being loved by the people of this country and even more by the country’s PM. “Thank you @narendramodi ji for your words of appreciation & best wishes. I accept them with gratitude. Jai Hind”.
In his letter PM Modi has praised Suresh Raina for his efforts & the impact that Raina had on cricket field by saying that Raina would not only be remembered for his batting but also for being an “exemplary and inspiring” fielding.
PM Modi also recalled watching Raina at the Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad during the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals against Australia, saying “India can never forget your inspiring role” in the match.
The Prime Minister hailed Raina’s team spirit saying, “you played not for personal glory but for the glory of your team and the glory of India”.
Raina had announced his retirement on August 15 just few minutes after MS Dhoni told his millions of fans to consider him as retired on his Official Instagram page.
“It was nothing but lovely playing with you, @mahi7781 . With my heart full of pride, I choose to join you in this journey. Thank you India. Jai Hind,” Raina posted on his Instagram page. Raina has completed his ODI career with 5,615 runs at an average of 35.13 and a strike rate of 93.50. He scored 1,605 runs in Twenty20 Internationals at an average 29.18 and a strike of 134.87.
In test matches Raina scored a century on his debut against Sri-Lanka in 2010 but couldn’t build on that start as he finished with 768 runs from 18 Tests. Suresh Raina will continue to play the IPL along with MS Dhoni who leads CSK. The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in India and will begin on September 19.
