Feb. 9: World Cup is the biggest stage in any international cricketer’s life. From February 19, it will be nervous times in 15 Indian households, all of them silently praying for Team India’s success in the ICC Cricket World Cup.
The Rainas are no different but the family isn’t keen on watching Suresh in action at the World Cup stadiums. “As of now, we are only planning to watch the matches on TV. My parents tend to get nervous when Suresh is playing. But if India progresses to the later rounds, I might convince them to go to the stadium,” Suresh’s elder brother Dinesh Raina told this newspaper on Wednesday.
Dinesh played a major role in shaping the career of the 24-year-old Uttar Pradesh southpaw. Suresh, who joined the Guru Gobind Singh Sports College in Lucknow in 1999, returned to his home in Muradnagar traumatised by ragging. It was his brother who counselled him and persuaded him to return to resume his cricket training.
“Dinesh has been a major influence in Suresh’s career. Being a teacher himself, he didn’t allow Suresh’s education to suffer either. Suresh was always a good student through school and college,” Deepak Sharma, Raina’s coach at Sports College, said.
His father Trilok Nath Raina, who worked at an army ordinance factory will only watch if India are in the World Cup final in Mumbai. “I haven’t seen any India match in a stadium but I intend to make an exception this time. We are a very religious family and pray twice a day. Our blessings will always be with Suresh,” he said.
Dinesh though keeps track of his brother’s career and was at the Ferozeshah Kotla during the last IPL to watch Suresh play a lead role for the Chennai Super Kings. “We visit an ashram in Ghaziabad for leprosy afflicted patients regularly. The blessings of those ostracised by the world is what we seek,” he added.
Much like the Rainas, Delhi left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra’s parents also hate going to stadiums. Nehra’s fickle fitness was what bothers his parents the most.
“Ashish used to get injured a lot on the field. His mother could not bear to watch that and that’s why stopped going to matches,” father Diwan Singh said.
The 31-year-old paceman has worked immensely hard at his fitness and injuries are now few and far between.
“His wife Rushma accompanies him to all the matches and is a great source of support for him. The last time we watched him on the field was probably during the 2002 England tour. But that doesn’t stop us from watching the matches on TV. We support India in every match they play,” Nehra’s father said.
While watching their sons and brothers might be difficult for the families, they are unanimous in tagging India as the World Cup favourites.