‘Stressed About Financial Position, Left Fate in God’s Hands’: India World Cup Winner Recalls Tough Phase of Career – News18

Ahead of the inaugural World T20 in 2007, India cricketer Suresh Raina suffered a knee injury that left him bed ridden for months. The career threatening fitness issue led to his exclusion from the India squad that would create history in South Africa by becoming the first ever winners of the T20 world championship.

The physical pain aside, Raina was also worried about his financial situation and the fear if he had played his last match for the Indian cricket team.

“When I got injured, more than physical it was mental stress that was taking a toll on me,” Raina said on JioCinema. “My family asked me to focus on recovery and not worry about the loan I had taken. The other thing that was eating me up was if I will ever get a chance again because the competition was so tough and the 2007 T20 World Cup was coming up.”

Raina said his family helped him deal with the dark time.

“Then I decided to leave my fate in the hands of God and focused on having a good time with friends and family as this was a chance to spend time with them as I never spent more than 10-20 days in a year at home since 1998. So, with the love and blessing of my family, I waded through the choppy waters quite easily,” he said.

Raina played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20Is before calling time on his international career in 2020. He was part of the India squad that won the 2011 ODI World Cup.

Before making a successful comeback, Raina the thought of not being able to play for India again during the recovery process did cross the cricketer’s mind.

“Yes, that thought did cross my mind. I was stressed about the financial position that I and the family were in, especially after I took a loan. And if I don’t play again, it would all be over. I realised that what was in my control is to strengthen my knee and everything else will follow,” Raina said.