3 Reasons why Suresh Raina should have been included in India's ODI squad vs West Indies

The squad announced by the BCCI for the first two ODIs against West Indies is as follows-

Virat Kohli(c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, K Khaleel Ahmed, Lokesh Rahul, Umesh Yadav

A huge name missing from the list of players is that of the left-handed middle-order batsman Suresh Raina. Apart from being a handy middle-order batsman, the Uttar Pradesh boy can put a control on the opposition’s scoring rate with his off-breaks and can also stop the batsmen from rotating the strike with his fielding skills.

With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 under a year away, the Indian selectors should have given the 31-year-old a final opportunity to prove himself.

Here are the top 3 reasons why Raina should have been a part of the ODI squad-

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#3 A reliable and experienced batsman

Despite failing to score at a quick rate in the ODI series vs England, Raina made sure he does not give away his wicket cheaply

Suresh Raina is perhaps the only Indian cricketer who can play fearlessly and can slog from the first ball itself. In the last 10 overs of the innings, Raina can be vital as he can score runs at a faster rate while consuming the minimum number of balls.

However, fans questioned his big hitting abilities when the stalwart failed to fire in the ODI series in England where he had a poor strike rate. The selectors did not pick him for the Asia Cup, but Team India’s search for a reliable No.4 batsman wasn’t solved in the 6 Asia Cup matches they played without Raina.

Raina is a flexible batsman and can even play in the lower order. He can play a match-winning innings at whatever position he is asked to play at. Virat Kohli at number 3, Dhoni at 4, Pant at 5 and Raina at 6 form the strongest middle-order which can be a nightmare for any bowling attack.

#2 The spin-bowling all-rounder India need

Ravindra Jadeja has only performed well against the teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Windies

The basic formation of an ODI team in the earlier times comprised five frontline bowlers in the playing XI. However, times have changed and the importance of contribution from the lower order has increased.

The teams now prefer four main frontline bowlers and 1-2 all-rounders. India have found their pace-bowling all-rounder in Hardik Pandya but still haven’t got their spin bowling all-rounder. Although Jadeja has performed well with the ball, his batting isn't reliable in ODIs.

Suresh Raina is such a part-time off-spinner who has the knack of breaking partnerships and keeping a check on the opposition’s run flow. He used to bowl consistently when Dhoni captained the Indian team.

He has 36 ODI wickets to his name with a career-best performance of 3/34 in the 223 ODI matches he has played for India.

#1 Raina's fielding skills are unmatched

Raina has caught several unbelievable catches and his direct hits provide the Indian team with some much-needed breakthroughs

Fielding issues with the Indian team have been going on for ages. But as Raina entered the team, the entire fielding scenario was changed. He took the Indian fielding to a whole new level.

Raina being a terrific fielder, can take off the blinders at the boundary line thus saving sixes for his team. Regarded as the Jonty Rhodes of India, Raina can even win the matches for India with his game-changing fielding.

Many experts have voiced their opinions about Suresh Raina, saying if he plays to his 100% capability, then he can be India’s biggest player at the ICC World Cup 2019. The Indian selectors may have missed a trick by judging an experienced all-rounder because of his overseas failures.

Do you think Suresh Raina must be included in the Indian squad for the remaining ODIs? Share your views in the feedback section below.