On Gujarat Titans' Star, Suresh Raina's Big Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag Statement

Former Indian cricket team star Suresh Raina showered massive praise on Gujarat Titans all-rounder Deepak Hooda and backed him to play the same role that Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag used to play as an all-rounder for the national team. In a recent interaction, Raina said that the all-round capability of Hooda is something that can help India in the long run and even said that his contributions can make life easy for skipper Rohit Sharma in the upcoming ICC World Cup which will be held in India.

"I remember how Viru pa, Yuvi pa, and Sachin paaji used to bowl. Yusuf and I as well. Whenever a left-hander used to come to the crease, Mahi Bhai would call me. I think Deepak Hooda could bring that factor; he can be the floater batter. He's a terrific fielder, a good offie, and can replicate his T20 form in ODIs," Raina told Sports Tak.

Raina further stated that Hooda can be worth addition to the spin attack which already has all-round talents like Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel who have been terrific with both bat and ball.

"We have Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel; there will be spin-friendly wickets, and it will be a bit cold when the World Cup starts. There will be dew, and there might not be much turn on offer. Axar, Jadeja, and Hooda will be important, and so will Hardik Pandya with his pace and variation. We saw how Viru pa and Yuvi pa used to bring impact with the ball. Yuvi Pa was the X-factor; he bowled really well, and that confidence also showed in his batting," Raina said

"It's also easy for the captain when there's a player who can give you 4-5 overs. It gives you a good balance," the former all-rounder further added.

Topics mentioned in this article

Suresh Raina Deepak Hooda Sachin Tendulkar Virender Sehwag Cricket