- Age: 28
- Height: 5’8”
- Job: Attacking left-handed middle-order batsman and an occasional off-spin bowler
- Debut: Sri Lanka vs India at Dambulla, 2005
- Matches: 207
- Runs: 5104
- Average: 35.44
- Strike rate: 92.98
- Fifties: 33
- Hundreds: 4
Attitude: Almost a decade after making his debut, raina’s temperament remains a mystery. It does border on being explosive, given he gets to bat in the latter half of the innings.
Capability: A lot has been said and written about him ways with the willow. But he has worked hard of late to counter the short-stuff dished out to him.
What it takes: A clean hitter of the ball, no boundary is big enough for Raina. Adds value in the middle with his athletic fielding.
Jersey number: 3, used to wear 30 & 48 but has claimed the number 3 shirt after Harbhajan Singh lost his place in the ODI side.
His importance: He’s the second most experience player in the squad after captain MS Dhoni with 5000 ODI runs. Scores at a rapid pace and can launch into any bowler with impunity. No total is difficult to chase if Raina gets his eyes in.
