If God says you have to choose between Raina and Kohli for the future of Indian cricket, then whom will you choose. Is it the 22 year old stylish tall right hander who does wonders in the field also or will it be the short plump aggressive cautious left hander who marvels with the ball and in the field.
If you follow Indian cricket for few years then this would form one of the toughest question you would-ever face.
Hmm..!! So we need to debate and decide ryt?
Proceed..!!!
If you follow Indian cricket for few years then this would form one of the toughest question you would-ever face.
Hmm..!! So we need to debate and decide ryt?
Proceed..!!!
There are several promising young cricketers in this country, but I believe that these two players will go onto make a lasting impact. Their recent form indicates that they have enough quality to make it big in the big stage. Raina and Kohli are only two of three Indian cricketers to score two ODI hundreds before their 22nd birthday. Any guess who the third Indian was? None other than Sachin Tendulkar.
ReplyDeleteVirat Kohli has proved to be an extremely talented cricketer with a great temperament. He has the ability to stabilize the innings and at the same time can accelerate. Like the World Cup Final showed, he can prove to be a calming influence and can build partnerships.
That is where his strength lies. His ability to build partnerships is extremely impressive. From the explosive Sehwag to Tendulkar, he has shown the ability to milk the runs and build partnerships. He doesn’t mind playing second fiddle and can, at the same time, turn on the style with some explosive shots.
Kohli scored 282 runs throughout the tournament and scored a century in the opener against Bangladesh. While he might not have set the stage on fire, he was a reassuring presence at No. 4 and chipped in with some crucial knocks.
Graham Crouch/Getty Images
Raina was unused in the group stages, but thanks to some less than impressive batting from Yusuf Pathan, he was drafted into the team for the crucial clash against Australia. Raina too has shown a knack of rising to the occasion when his country has needed him the most. He is also the only Indian to score a century in all three formats of the game.
And he didn’t disappoint. His inclusion proved to be a masterstroke as he guided India to victory along with Yuvraj in a match winning sixth wicket stand. His fielding was also outstanding.
Both Kohli and Raina are India’s best fielders, and this was evident in India’s three knockout clashes against Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Raina is an immensely talented player who I believe is invaluable to India lower down the order. He offers India some stability that Yusuf can’t offer, and at the same time, can explode if necessary. His stint with Chennai Super Kings has proven him to be a great hitter of the ball who can explode when needed. At the same time he values his wicket and can play cautiously for the team, something that Yusuf fails to do on several occasions often going for the big hit.
Raina can bowl occasionally as well and has already picked up seven wickets.
He has scored some key knocks and has already scored 2500 runs for the national side. When he gets going there is little that can be done to stop him and he displayed his value to India with two great knocks against Pakistan and Australia.
I also believe that in the future one of these two players will become captains for India. Kohli led the Under 19 side to glory in the Under 19 World Cup and has the confidence and temperament required to make a great captain. Raina, on the other hand, has already captained the national side in a series.
These two players are two of the most versatile players on the current side and their presence as great fielders increases their importance to an Indian side that is below par in the fielding department. When Raina came into the squad for the match against Australia there was an immediate improvement in India’s fielding as we saw plenty of dives within the thirty yard circle from both Raina and Kohli.
These two players might not have set the tournament ablaze, but they sure did chip in with invaluable knocks that helped India achieve glory.
They have immense potential to become future stars, and if they continue their recent form, they will achieve the success they look destined to achieve