Suresh Raina recalls the moment when he consoled Rishabh Pant

Team India cricketer Suresh Raina has been having a tough time on the cricket field as he is striving hard for his comeback in the national setup. He finished among the top 10 run getters of the Indian Premier League this season but found no place in the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy this year. But the veteran cricketer has not lost hopes and is more than capable of staging a comeback.

During this year’s IPL, Suresh Raina had a tough phase leading the Gujarat Lions. His team ran out of luck as the bowlers let them down on most occasions. However, Raina had a few moments of glory – some with the bat, and some with his gestures. One of the most memorable moments of this season of the IPL was when young Delhi Daredevils batsman Rishabh Pant had torn apart the Lions bowling.

Playing at Delhi, the youngster smashed a herculean 97 off just 43 balls to help the Daredevils overhaul the target set by the Lions – 208. In the match, Pant had added a mammoth run stand with Sanju Samson to steer his side home. However, he fell short of his personal milestone in the game. When he was dismissed on 97 by Basil Thampi, he was seen in dismay and agony.

Spirit of the game gesture

It was right then when Suresh Raina walked up to him and consoled him on the knock. Recently, at the CEAT awards, Suresh revealed what words he had said to Rishabh Pant. “I had to acknowledge Pant’s brilliant knock. He was finishing it in 16-17 overs. I just told him don’t get upset & consoled him,” said Raina as per the quotes in Sportskeeda.

Well, it is the moments such as these that stand out as the spirit of the game moments. Raina had shown why he is one of the most respected cricketers in the Indian cricket circuit.