Mohammad Kaif is my idol: Suresh Raina

Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina have a lot in common. The two of them have been together since their Uttar Pradesh days and also have played a lot of cricket together for the Indian cricket team. Both the players have been excellent fielders for India which has helped the team grow as a fielding side over the years.

Now, in the tenth season of the IPL Kaif is the assistant coach of the Gujarat franchise which is led by Raina. The left-hander reflected back at his playing days for Uttar Pradesh but marked the 2006 Ranji triumph win as the most special moment shared with Mohammad Kaif. He played a brilliant inning in that match helping UP lift the Ranji title for the first time ever.

“We have played so many matches together for UP, India A, India. But that 2006 Ranji Trophy win remains special. Kaif bhai batted so well in the final (92 and 109) and we became Ranji champions for the first time. Winning it for the first time was similar to winning a World Cup at home”

Raina also praised Kaif as a person and thanked him for boosting the morale of a lot of youngsters.

“I’ve played a lot with him, and the best thing about Kaif is that he is one of the nicest persons. He gave me and a lot of other youngsters like Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla, RP Singh, Sudeep Tyagi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar a lot of confidence”

Raina hailed the senior’s fielding and took us back to his Kanpur days when they all would go to the Kanpur boarding school to watch Kaif field.

“Kaif played for India those days and we used to come to Kanpur boarding school to watch his fielding. I think John Wright must be pleased to have him in the side, as he would save a lot of boundaries, cut the singles. I still remember the brilliant run out he did against England (Nick Knight) in World Cup 2003.”

After Raina, it was Kaif’s turn to return the praise and he did so by saying that it was his players like Suresh Raina and others who made him a successful captain.

“Only players can make a captain look good on the field, and I was fortunate to have the likes of Raina, RP, Praveen, Chawla and Bhuvi in my team, who could go on to win matches for the team on their own.”

We all know it for a fact that Mohammad Kaif’s fielding skills are still unmatched in Indian cricket. And the current Gujarat Lions skipper seemed to be a big fan of the former Indian cricketer and said that he has learned a lot of things in life from Kaif.

Raina rightly pointed out that Kaif changed the scenario of Indian fielding and the other players used to get charged up seeing him perform on the field. As we all know these small flashes of brilliance in the field can lift up a whole team, Kaif used to do exactly that on the field.

“Kaif is my idol. We used to stand in the slips together and take lot of brilliant catches. I have learned how to celebrate catches from Kaif. The intensity he brought to the fielding drills, I have never seen anything like that. The momentum from practice sessions does come to the games, and that is something I have learned from Kaif. He brought the craze for fielding among Indian players and with it the belief that if he can do, we too can. It was definitely a turning point in my life.”

“There was a new rule of Super-Sub and I would be the 12th man who was brought in for fielding. Kaif and I saved a lot of runs for Rahul Dravid”

Raina has been a wonderful batter for the Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Lions over the years. He is one of the highest run-getters in the Indian Premier League so far and has scored 300 plus runs in all seasons of the IPL. Kaif praised the left-handed batsman and his ability to win matches.

He also said that Raina has the tendency to come good in big matches. “I have seen Raina bat in IPL in last 10 years. He is a match-winner and can win you games on his own. He especially plays well in big games”

However, the skipper of the GL side feels that they need to believe in their abilities to make it to the top four. He also spoke about the importance of being disciplined in order to perform well on the field.

“We have a dangerous side, right from the top; Baz, Smithy, Ishan, Jadeja, Finchy, myself. We were searching for the right combination and have finally found now. Nathu, Thampi, Ankit Soni, all have done well to make their chances count. We can still make it to the playoffs from here. It is about belief. We have done well in all the departments: fielding, bowling and batting. We have chased well. So if we keep believing in ourselves, we will definitely make it to top four”

“In IPL, it’s important to just hang in there, stay positive, disciplined with your travelling plan, your sleep, how you train et al. This guy [Kaif] has been working really hard with us,” he said.