Promising Indian batsman Suresh Raina is expecting the middle order to deliver in the just to begin ICC World T20 Championship, in Sri Lanka.
“We have a lot of power in middle order and we hope to deliver every day,” said the 25-year-old Uttar Pradesh left-hander during an interview with The Hindu here in Colombo, on Friday.
“I have been hitting the ball well. In Sri Lanka too (in the last series). I have been getting a lot of runs in IPL in the last five years. God has been really kind,” he added further.
The left-hander also urged the bowlers and fielders to play their role if they are to lift the trophy once again.
India, the champions of the inaugural T20 World Cup, in South Africa, in 2007, have been placed in Group A, alongside defending champions England and qualifiers Afghanistan, in the 12-team event, which will be played in Sri Lanka between September 18 and October 7.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his Men in Blue will play their tournament opener against the Afghans, at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on September 19, before taking on formidable England at the same venue on Sunday, September 23.
Raina was happy that India will be playing its group stage matches in Colombo, and hoped their experience at RPS would come handy.
“We have played a lot of matches in Premadasa. So it’s good for our game,” said the middle-order batsman, who scored two half centuries at R Premadasa during India’s limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka in July-August.
“We know how the wicket is going to be in Premadasa... Always helps in the night especially for the seam bowlers,” the left-hander went on to add.
Raina also rubbished the opinion that the one-run defeat at the hands of New Zealand would be on their mind going into the global event, saying they were seeing that game nothing more than a practice match for the World Cup.
MS Dhoni and Co is also scheduled to play two warm-up matches, against Sri Lanka (September 15) and Pakistan (September 17), ahead of the esteemed tournament.
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