It’s the last working day of the week and the swashbuckling limited-overs’ specialist of Team India walks into the Zee Buildings at Filmcity, Noida. The easy-going Suresh Raina wearing navy blue jeans teamed with a white jazzy tee and a blazer was the centre of all attraction. Suresh Raina gets candid with Ankit Banerjee about cricket, life outside cricket and his post marriage innings.
Q: Talk about your growing up years.
A: During my growing up years we played in the street where there were incentives if you hit a boundary or a six, and that motivated me to earn, as we were not from a well-to-do family.
Q: How was Raina as a kid?
A: Main mohalla ka hero tha (I was the most sought after one in his suburb). My parents called me Sonu, that was my nickname and I was very notorious as a kid.
Q: Your pangs with English?
A: During the initial years while I was travelling it was a huge problem as I could not speak neither could I comprehend but now it is okay.
Q: Talk about your favourite music.
A: Kishore Kumar has been my all time favourite apart from hearing Sufi songs I love the genre.
Q: WWE is a fad, who is your favourite WWE star?
A: I like Big Show but Undertaker is my favourite, apart from Bret Hart Hitman.
Q: Raina travels around the world, so what excites his palate?
A: Home food is what excites me. I like home made plain and simple dal and rice.
Q: Tell us about your married life with Priyanka.
A: She is working and that helps as we are planning our future. She is very supportive and loving.
Q: Recently you were in Europe with your wife. Tell us about your favourite destination?
A: Was in Europe lately with my wife and discovered a lot of new places. It’s a lovely place to be to.
Q: What’s your favourite film?
A: I love to watch a lot of old movies of Amitabh Bachchan and there are so many contemporary movies that I like as well.
Q: Your best friend?
A: Again I have many close friends but because I have spent a lot of my life with Mahendra SinghDhoni, he is very close to me.
Q: Great! Coming to cricket, who were your first gurus?
A: Pravin Amre was my first coach and my stint with him helped me a lot. Apart from him there were Matthew Hayden and Stephen Fleming, who are left-handers and learning from them enhanced my game leaps and bounds.
Q: Your immediate plans with cricket?
A: South Africa series is my first target. Have to perform well there and then take it on from there.
Q: So how are you spending your time off?
A: Now I am completely focussing on First-Class cricket to improve my game. I have a lot of cricket left in me.
Q: On Sachin Tendulkar.
A: Sachin Tendulkar has motivated not just me but a generation of cricketers.
Q: Your best cricketing moment?
A: There have been quite a few of them but 2011 World Cup victory at Mumbai was the ultimate.
Q: Can you describe the moment when Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to call it quits from Test cricket?
A: It was a critical time as Sakshi (Dhoni’s wife) was expecting and then we were called in for a meeting where Dhoni said Virat (Kohli) is ready. That is when we realised what had happened. It was a very emotional moment for us.
Q: Who is the fiercest bowler that you have come across?
A: Not just one, there are quite a few of them. Especially all the South African bowlers. They are good.
Q: What do you think of India’s recent series win in Sri Lanka?
A: Virat Kohli is a good captain and will learn over the time. His captaincy was good as he was aggressive with all the three areas of the game.
Q: What is fitness to Raina?
A: Staying fit is the key to success in the longer run. I do a lot of training because this is what provides me bread and butter. Now that I am married, I am happy that my wife also likes to stay fit hence we do yoga, cycling and jogging together.
Q: What are India’s prospects in the World Cup 2019?
A: The planning process has already begun and this is the case with all the teams. India are trying new options, looking at combinations so that we are settled at least 24 months in advance.
(A cricket geek to the tee, Ankit Banerjee smokes and snorts it all day long. The romance with the sport incepted since the 1996 World Cup semi-final. He is a winner of the 2011 edition of the All-India college cricket quiz.)
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