On Friday, former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina, who announced his retirement on August 15, took to Twitter to share a letter written to him by Prime Minister Modi acknowledging his contributions to cricket and wishing him wishes following his retirement from international cricket.
In a tweet, Suresh Raina shared the letter of appreciation sent to him by the Prime Minister. The former Indian cricketer, in response to the PM Modi’s letter wrote, “When we play, we give our blood & sweat for nation. No better appreciation than being loved by people of this country & country’s PM. Thank you PM for your words of appreciation & best wishes. I accept them with gratitude.”
When we play, we give our blood & sweat for the nation. No better appreciation than being loved by the people of this country and even more by the country’s PM. Thank you @narendramodi ji for your words of appreciation & best wishes. I accept them with gratitude. Jai Hind!🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/l0DIeQSFh5
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) August 21, 2020
In his letter, Prime Minister Modi acknowledged Suresh Raina’s contribution to the country and praised him for the impact that Raina had on the cricket field, saying that not only would he be remembered for his batting but also for being an “exemplary and inspiring” fielding.
Suresh Raina announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, the same day as former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Meanwhile, Suresh Raina will continue to play for Chennai Supers Kings in IPL 2020, alongside Dhoni, which is scheduled to start from September 19 in the UAE.
Read the letter written by Prime Minister Modi to former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina after he announced retirement
On 15 August, you decided to make what would surely have been one of the toughest decisions of your life. I do not want to use the word
‘retirement’ because you are way too young and energetic to ‘retire’. You are padding up for the next innings of your life, after an extremely fruitful innings on the cricket field.
You have lived and breathed cricket. Your interest in the sport began early in life, in the by-lanes of Muradnagar and subsequently found feet in the playgrounds of Lucknow. There on, what an eventful journey it has been, culminating in the most important honour of representing India – a country you love deeply – in all three forms of the game.
Generations will remember you not only as a fine batsman but also as a very useful bowler who the captain could tum to when the situation
demanded. Your fielding was exemplary and inspiring. Some of the best catches in recent international cricket have your distinctive imprint. It would take days to count just the number of runs you have saved by your alertness on the field.
As a batsman, you especially distinguished yourself across all mediums and particularly in the newest form of the game, the T-20 cricket.
This is not an easy format. In tune with our times, it requires quick fixes in double quick time. Again, your promptness and speed were assets for this form.
India can never forget your inspiring role during the 2011 World Cup, especially during the later matches. I saw you live in action at the Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad, during the Quarter Final against Australia. Your anchoring innings had a big role to play in our team’s victory. I can
confidently say that most fans will miss seeing your elegant cover drives, one which I was lucky to witness live that day.
Sportspersons are admired not only for their conduct on the field but also off the field. Your fighting spirit can motivate many youngsters. During
your cricketing career, you sometimes faced setbacks including injuries but every time you overcame these challenges, thanks to your tenacity.
At the same time, Suresh Raina will always be synonymous with team spirit. You played not for personal glory but for the glory of your team and the glory of India. Your enthusiasm on the field was infectious, and we could all witness that you would be among the first and most animated players to celebrate the fall of the opposing team’s wicket.
Your care and compassion towards society is visible in your numerous community service efforts. You have passionately supported efforts towards
women empowerment, Swachh Bharat and helping the needy. I am glad you are attached to India’s cultural roots and proud of deepening youth’s connect with our glorious ethos as well as value systems.
I am confident you will have an equally fruitful and successful innings in whatever you wish to pursue in the times to come. I do hope you will use
this opportunity to spend even more quality time with Priyanka, Gracia and Rio.
Thank you for doing whatever you can to make India a leader in sports and constantly inspiring young minds.
PM Modi’s letter of appreciation to former Indian Captain MS Dhoni
On Thursday, former Indian captain MS Dhoni, who retired from international cricket on August 15, had shared a letter of appreciation written to him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Taking to Twitter, Dhoni shared the letter saying, “An Artist, Soldier and Sportsperson what they crave for is appreciation, that their hard work and sacrifice is getting noticed and appreciated by everyone. thanks PM @narendramodi for your appreciation and good wishes.”
In a two-page letter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the former India captain by penning a touching letter. In his letter, the Prime Minister also acknowledged Dhoni’s contributions to cricket and highlighted how big an impact he left on the national discourse.
