Scott Styris, former New Zealand and CSK all-rounder reckons Suresh Raina has been an equally crucial element of CSK’s success apart from Ravindra Jadeja who has been CSK’s standout player, proving his effectiveness with both bat and ball.
Following the disappointment of the last IPL, Chennai Super Kings have roared back to hit top gear in IPL 2021 as the team occupies the No. 1 spot in the points table. With just one loss out of five matches, CSK is right on top of the points table with 10 points.
Scott Styris Likes CSK’s Decision To Drop Suresh Raina At No. 4
Scott Styris reckons Suresh Raina is as effective as ever and that CSK’s decision to drop him a spot down to No. 4 has been an exceptional move. Suresh Raina, who over the years, has batted at No. 3 for CSK has batted at No. 4 this season with Moeen Ali coming out to bat one down. Scott Styris feels it’s the right move from CSK as it gives him time to go after the spinners and build his innings accordingly.
“Fielding wise, all the focus has been on Jadeja, but he is the one who always sets the tone. So he’s always been a key contributor too. I like the move of CSK to drop him down to 4. That’s why Moeen Ali’s inclusion is a fit and good one given his struggles against short balls and the quick balls. So if he drops down one spot, he can sit there and make No. 4 his own,” Styris said on the Star Sports pre-show.
Suresh Raina has scored 121 runs in 6 games averaging 30.25 with a highest of 54 at a strike rate of around 130. Moeen Ali has meanwhile managed 148 runs in 5 games averaging 29.6 at a phenomenal strike rate of 155.78 after a poor IPL 2020 for RCB. He has also picked 4 scalps averaging 18.
Scott Styris: Suresh Raina Can Own Those Middle Overs And Is Difference To Last Year Where CSK Struggled
Scott Styris is convinced that Suresh Raina can be even more effective batting at No. 4 given his immense success ratio against the spinners. The former all-rounder in fact reckons that his innings at No. 4 have been the difference between CSK’s performances last year and this year, saying the veteran batsman offers the team impetus in the middle overs, something the franchise struggled to do last year.
“He is so good against spinners I think he can make those middle overs – five to 15 before he starts having some fun – I think he can own those. And if you look at last year, that’s where CSK struggled, their slowness through the middle, their ability to rotate strike and find boundaries against spinners. Raina does that perfectly,” Styris explained.
Suresh Raina who retired alongside MS Dhoni at 33 years of age from international cricket on 15th August 2020 was supposed to play IPL 2020 before he withdrew citing personal reasons. IPL’s third-highest run-scorer Suresh Raina has 5489 runs in 199 matches at an average of 33.26. Virat Kohli (6041 runs) and Shikhar Dhawan (5508 runs) are ahead of him in all-time highest run-getters in IPL history.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had a forgettable campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 finishing 7th in the points table as they couldn’t qualify for playoffs for the 1st time in IPL history. The team finished the tournament with 6 wins and 8 losses. But their fortunes were reversed this season as they are atop the points table currently with 10 points from only 6 games winning 5 and losing 1 against Delhi Capitals.
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