The six-team tournament featured a unique mix of domestic cricketers and foreign stars facing off in the first-of-a-kind competition, and all eyes were on how the cricketers would adapt to the fast-paced nature of the T20 format.
Among the high profile stars in action, a young 19-year-old Suresh Raina was gearing up to lead the Air India team decked with an array of big names like Dinesh Karthik, Siddharth Trivedi, RP Singh among others.
Under Suresh Raina’s stewardship, Air India won both their group stages matches and booked a summit clash against the hosts, Karnataka State Cricket Association XI.
In the final, the then 19-year-old stitched a crucial partnership with Naman Ojha, a 95-run stand that helped Air India scale the 118-run target in 16 overs.
“Suresh Raina is very calm and down to earth”
While Trivedi spoke highly of Suresh Raina’s skill with the bat, the former pacer claims that he was extremely impressed with the way the southpaw dealt with the seniors in the side.
One of the most impressive pacers for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Trivedi played six seasons of the competition for RR and picked 65 wickets from 76 matches. Trivedi’s best season came in 2012, when he picked 13 wickets in 14 matches and finished as RR’s highest wicket-taker in that season.
However, Trivedi claims that his journey in the T20 format began with the Bradman Twenty20 Cup where he played for Air India and was one of the team’s premier pacers alongside RP Singh.
And, while Trivedi’s contributions helped Air India win the inaugural edition of the tournament, the former pacer claims that Suresh Raina’s approach towards youngsters in commendable.
0 votes
