IPL 2021: “Suresh Raina Has Earned Leeway, His Performances Will Improve” – Stephen Fleming

Chennai Super Kings’ head coach Stephen Fleming expects Suresh Raina’s performance to improve as the Indian Premier League 2021 progresses. Apart from the half-century against the Mumbai Indians, the left-hander has struggled for runs in the tournament.

Suresh Raina has scored only 157 runs and averages 19.62 in 11 innings this season. In the recent match against the Sunriser Hyderabad, Raina got out for just 2 runs, as he stayed on the backfoot expecting a bouncer, instead was caught Lbw on a yorker.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Stephen Fleming admitted that the veteran CSK batter has earned a leeway. He expects Raina to get back to form as the tournament progresses. Fleming said:

“We’ve got a pretty clear role for him. He has got an optimal time that we want him to bat, and we’re afforded the luxury of having a player that can come in and be aggressive. So, it’s just getting the timing right with that and managing the batters around him.”

“We value his experience and we think he’s got a part to play through the middle, which is an area that we’ve identified we can make a strength. Suresh is an experienced player, who has earned a bit of leeway. I expect as the tournament goes on, his performances will improve,” the CSK head coach added.

That’s ideally what you want, two very good players competing for a spot: Stephen Fleming on the competition for all-rounder’s spot

Stephen Fleming also spoke about the competition between Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo for the all-rounder’s spot in the team. Bravo has performed brilliantly in the UAE leg. He has picked up eight wickets in three matches playing a major role in CSK’s success.

Stephen Fleming has expressed that healthy competition between players is good for the team. He said:

“Sam was excellent for us in the first part. And Dwayne Bravo has come back now. The champion that he is, so there’s some really good competition around that all-rounder’s spot. That’s ideally what you want, two very good players competing for a spot and getting the best out of each other. Maybe (there could be) even an opportunity where they both play together.”

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