Because the cricketing world eagerly awaits the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, an exhilarating T20 showcase scheduled from July 18 to August 2, 2025, throughout 4 historic UK venues, the hype is actual. Legends like Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Shikhar Dhawan will rekindle iconic rivalries on this nostalgia-rich match. Amid the joy, a lighthearted but thought-provoking second caught followers by shock.
In a candid chat with presenter Shefali Bagga, Raina was given a deceptively troublesome problem: title his all-time World XI. What adopted was as revealing because it was nostalgic. Raina handpicked legends spanning eras and continents, gamers he admired by way of his childhood and wonderful profession. But, one obtrusive omission overshadowed the remaining: MS Dhoni, Raina’s shut buddy, mentor and long-time captain was overlooked.
Opening in type, Center order mayhem – Suresh Raina’s dream batting arsenal
Raina kicked off his checklist with a star-studded opening pair: Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, describing them as the right mix of grace and dominance. Sachin, known as “Sachin Paji”, mixed with Lara’s aptitude signaled an intent to bat in type and brutality. At quantity three was Sir Vivian Richards, the West Indian powerhouse whose aura and aggression outlined a era. Gary Sobers got here in at 4, chosen not only for his batting but additionally for eye-popping all-round genius.
Raina’s quantity 5 was near house: Yuvraj Singh, his World Cup-winning teammate and a fellow southpaw identified for big-stage fireworks. The sixth and seventh spots had been reserved for traditional English all-rounders: Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff, each revered for turning video games with bat and ball. This high seven dripped with an all-era appeal, mixing classical method with game-winning aggression. Intriguingly, Raina didn’t title a chosen wicketkeeper right here. That alternative, or lack thereof, raised eyebrows instantly. With a highlight on explosive skills and all-rounders, the choice felt extra emotional than systematic.
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Raina dials up the warmth with four-spinner technique
Transferring past the star-studded batting core, Raina’s selections echoed a daring, subcontinent-friendly mindset. When requested about bowlers, he defined cheekily, “It’s a bit sizzling in the summertime,” making approach for 4 legendary spinners as an alternative of conventional pace-heavy assaults. Main the rotation was the late, nice Shane Warne, adopted by two Indian icons, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, who outlined India’s spin legacy for over a decade. Subsequent in was Saqlain Mushtaq, the Pakistan wizard identified for introducing the ‘doosra’, including thriller and menace to this elite quartet.
Notably, real quick bowlers like Wasim Akram, Brett Lee, or Glenn McGrath had been overlooked, an unconventional transfer for a T20-themed format. The steadiness got here from the presence of all-rounders Botham and Flintoff, who may ship sharp medium-pace overs and stabilize the seam assault. However Raina wasn’t carried out shocking. For the ‘affect participant’ function, akin to WCL’s new rulebook, he picked Paul Adams, the South African chinaman with a famously unorthodox bowling motion. Presenter Shefali Bagga laughed in delight at Raina’s spontaneity, with Raina cheekily including, “Or perhaps Shefali may are available in because the affect participant!” The second added humor to an in any other case calculated, spin-heavy, nostalgia-packed bowling unit.
A giant omission of MS Dhoni
Whereas his lineup had the wealth of cricket legacy lined, the absence of MS Dhoni made cricket followers immediately pause. No different keeper featured both—main some to take a position whether or not Raina anticipated somebody like Sobers or Yuvraj to maintain wicket, or if he needed this checklist to purely give attention to those that moved him as cricketers, not essentially in role-specific phrases. The shock was heavier given Raina and Dhoni’s legendary friendship, cast throughout their time underneath Chennai Tremendous Kings (CSK) within the Indian Premier League (IPL) and celebrated throughout numerous match-winning partnerships. Raina has typically spoken of Dhoni as his chief, information, and older brother determine on and off the sector. No matter interpretation, Raina’s XI turned a dialog starter, turning a enjoyable banter right into a compelling narrative.
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