India's aggressive middle-order batsman Suresh Raina, who was left out of the national side for the Asia Cup, is raring to go in the upcoming World Twenty20. With some valuable inputs from former skipper Sourav Ganguly, Raina is looking forward to a fresh start in the marquee tournament. The qualifiers start on March16 and India start against Pakistan on March 21.
In an interview with the 'Times of India', the left-handed Raina spoke about the words of wisdom he received from Ganguly and how it has motivated him to put his past performances behind himself.
"Ganguly just gave me confidence and told me to work on my strength. He reminded me how well I had done in ODIs before and told me to play the same aggressive game that made me successful. It does feel good when such a great player has so many good things to say about your game," Raina said.
Talking about the time he was left out of the side, Raina said it was a tough phase but he took it in his stride and moved on by being involved in a lot of domestic matches.
Looking to start afresh in Indian colours, Raina has a lot of hope for his side and himself from the World T20. "This T20 World Cup is going to be the stepping stone for the 50-over World Cup in a year's time. If we do well and go on to win it here, it's going to be a huge boost to our confidence. As for me, if I do well and have a good IPL after that, it will help me come back into reckoning for ODIs."
Shedding light on the difference in his form in T20s and the 50-over format, Raina felt that in the former he had the opportunity to bat a bit higher up in the order and get time to settle down.
"In T20 cricket, more often than not, I have gone out to bat early. It has allowed me the time to get settled and play some crucial innings. That's something I would like to do in one-dayers as well, as and when I get the chance again."
Having played 189 ODIs so far, Raina will look forward to make the most of his opportunity in the World T20 and reclaim his spot in the Indian middle-order in the 50-over format.
