This out of favour Indian batsman wants to play under Dhoni again

Out of favour Indian batsman Suresh Raina last represented India in February this year, against England in the T20I series. It has been seven months since, and a star player like him has remained out of the mix. It was widely expected that he would be recalled for the on-going limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, especially since he was seen training with MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav at the NCA during the build-up to the series. But the middle-order batsman didn’t find a place in the squad in which players like Manish Pandey are doing a great job.

However, the athletic fielder is leaving no stone unturned to resurrect his international career. "I want to use the stairs, not the elevator,” media reports quoted him as saying.

"I'm not disappointed at all. I'm just looking to enjoy the process. When you achieve success, there is no shortcut you can take. My time will come. I have been working really hard. I'm enjoying my game. That’s what is in my control. I'm not thinking about what others are doing. My job is to practice and work hard. Whenever I get an opportunity, I will be looking to grab it with both hands," Raina told media.

"In the middle order, you need more games and more time to settle down. Most of the time, you just have 15-odd overs to bat. You need to be given a few series and then see what you can do. Middle order is one place where you can’t experiment too much. You need to able to assess the situation and finish games. It is very important to know your strengths and know your game for success," he further elaborated.

Raina-Dhoni: Match made in between 22 yards 

Former captain MS Dhoni has been in fine form in the on-going ODI series, and Raina feels that Dhoni’s presence in the team is of help to Virat Kohli.

"Dhoni has been batting really well. He is looking very calm and working really hard. Around Virat Kohli, he can definitely share his experience. He has made a seamless transition," he said.

"I would love to come back to CSK and play under Dhoni again. Coming back to Chennai and meeting all the groundsmen, I am getting all the fond memories back," he added.