New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS): Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina backed left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's inclusion in the Rohit Sharma-led squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Raina gave credit to captain Rohit for keeping Jaiswal in the squad despite not playing a single ODI to date. The 23-year-old has shown impressive form in the Tests and T20Is for India last year. He was also named in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year.
“I think that boy is very hungry for runs. I mean, whenever we see his story, I think he has come to that level very eagerly. Hats off to the selectors, especially Rohit Sharma. Without playing ODI, you are taking that boy to the Champions Trophy. You know that he does a lot of hard work, dedication is very good. But he has a different attitude in his eyes, he has a different patience. It seems that this boy has come prepared.
"This is the beauty of Indian cricket. If you work hard and you have the passion to represent the country, then there will be some power that will tell you to go and represent the country. Rohit has done this with Yashasvi," Raina told Star Sports.
The former cricketer further talked about senior batter Virat Kohli's mentality heading into the marquee tournament. "His mindset is very different. He is, as I said, I think good teammate to have in a dressing room but he is always on the switch. When he practices, he has a different preparation, when he does fielding, whenever the chips are down, he will be the first person to come and say, let's fight, let's do fielding.
"I really enjoyed fielding with him because his passion is different because when he is in the mood for fielding and diving, everyone’s attitude changes. Virat, he has the talent and he is a little different in North India. When we come from there, we can't bear to lose. We don't know how to lose. We won't leave till we die. That's the kind of attitude he has," he said.
Kohli will play for Delhi in the upcoming Ranji Trophy clash against the Railways at Arun Jaitley Stadium from January 30. It will be his first appearance in the tournament since 2012.