Oh, Raina. This poor boy always loved to stay in the shadows. He sits there waits for his opportunity gives it all but he moves aside and let someone else have the spotlight. Nobody knows why he does that. Maybe, he loves it that way.
I remember writing about him this June where he told in an interview that there is a lot of cricket left in him. He never thought of retiring at the moment. Maybe, he wanted to hang his boots alongside Dhoni so that he can still stay in the shadows.
There is so much to learn from Raina. The friendship. The selflessness. The brotherhood. The art of giving it back. Oh, he is a serial hugger. It’s really rare to spot a team celebration picture without him hugging somebody. He would throw his arms up to celebrate others’ achievement and he doesn’t give a damn for his knocks. However, if the team is in danger, you can see his anger. Because for him, the team comes first. The country comes first.
During his career, Yuvraj Singh overshadowed his records. No, in a good way. Both the players were match-winners. Both the players gave everything on the field. While Yuvraj Singh was too good, Raina chose to stay behind and enjoy in his own way, in the shadows.
Probably, Raina’s performances were mostly like that tiny stool you’d need to stand up and to open the door of victory. His performances during the knockouts in the 2011 World Cup might not be great on papers but it was one of the main reasons why India won the World Cup.
He would have stopped thousands of runs and grabbed hundreds of catches. Unfortunately, they don’t have a record for the number of runs saved, at least not in those days. Raina would have topped the list by far if there was such a list. He was one of a kind.
Right from his childhood, he was bullied. Probably, he needed a shoulder Ah, Dhoni. The bond they share. You cannot separate them, can you?
Who would have thought that coming? Who would have thought that they would retire on the same day? Oh, this guy even shared a picture with Dhoni while wishing Independence day. Such is his love for the man. The friendship, the trust they have for each other is phenomenal. Maybe, Raina wanted to stay in his shadows even during the retirement. He didn’t want to make a big fuss of it. Maybe, he wasn’t ready to go ahead and play for a team without Dhoni. I know I’m bragging a bit here. But who knows.
Now it is all in the hands of BCCI to grant permission for Raina to allow him to play in foreign leagues. I’m sure he will go there, find a way to keep things under wraps and to stay in the shadows there as well.
Happy retirement, Raina!
