Suresh Raina will be synonymous with team spirit: PM Narendra Modi pens letter of appreciation for CSK star

A day after MS Dhoni took to social to share a letter of ‘appreciation’ from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Suresh Raina posted the letter he received from the top leader and thanked him for “his words of appreciation & best wishes”.

Suresh Raina retired from international cricket on August 15, minutes after MS Dhoni brought an end to his 16-year-long international career. Like his Chennai Super Kings captain, Raina will continue to play in the Indian Premier League.

“When we play, we give our blood & sweat for the nation. No better appreciation than being loved by the people of this country and even more by the country’s PM. Thank you @narendramodi ji for your words of appreciation & best wishes. I accept them with gratitude. Jai Hind!,” Suresh Raina wrote while sharing the 2-page letter from PM Narendra Modi.

When we play, we give our blood & sweat for the nation. No better appreciation than being loved by the people of this country and even more by the country’s PM. Thank you @narendramodi ji for your words of appreciation & best wishes. I accept them with gratitude. Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/l0DIeQSFh5

— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) August 21, 2020

PM Modi, in his warm letter of appreciation, wished Suresh Raina the best for his 2nd innings in life and maintained that he would call the cricketer’s decision ‘retirement’. Raina, 33, took the cricket fraternity by surprise when he made the announcement on India’s 74th Independence Day.

I don’t want to use the word ‘retirement’: PM Modi to Raina

“On 15th August, you decided to make what would surely have been one of the toughest decisions of your life. I do not want to use the word ‘retirement’ because you are way too young and energetic to ‘retire’. You are padding up for the next innings of your life, after an extremely fruitful innings on the cricket field.

“You have lived and breathed cricket. Your interest in the sport began early in life, in the by-lanes of Muradnagar and subsequently found feet in the playgrounds of Lucknow. There on, what an eventful journey it has been, culminating in the most important honour of representing India – a country you love deeply– in all three formats of the game.

Generations will remember you not only as a fine batsman but also as a very useful bowler who the captain could turn to when the situation demanded. Your fielding was exemplary and inspiring. Some of the best catches in recent international cricket have your distinctive imprint. I would take days to count the number of runs who you have saved by your athleticism on the field,” PM Narendra Modi wrote.

PM Modi also highlighted Suresh Raina’s contribution in the 2011 World Cup triumph, saying the all-rounder had always been a team man. Modi said Raina’s name is ‘synonymous’ with ‘team spirit’. PM Modi also hoped Raina would be able to spend more time with his family after a 15-year-long career in international cricket.

Notably, PM Modi had penned a tribute to MS Dhoni which the former India captain shared on social media on Thursday.

Dhoni responded by thanking the Prime Minister for his kind words.

“An Artist,Soldier and Sportsperson what they crave for is appreciation, that their hard work and sacrifice is getting noticed and appreciated by everyone.thanks PM @narendramodi for your appreciation and good wishes,” Dhoni tweeted.

Both Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni will be arriving in the UAE on Friday in the lead up to Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, starting September 19. Dhoni and Raina were part of a training camp in Chennai from August 15 to 20.

Raina, who represented India in 18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20Is, is next only to Virat Kohli in the list of batsmen with most IPL runs. Raina has 5368 runs in 193 matches in the T20 tournament.