Champions Trophy: India have a very good chance of defending title, says Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina may have had a forgettable season with Gujarat Lions in the just-concluded Indian Premier League. But, the Uttar Pradesh left-hander is not out of contention for a return to the Indian team.

The 32-year-old made a half-century in his last T20 innings against England earlier this year. He has been named as a standby for the Champions Trophy starting next week in England and Wales.

Raina said India under Virat Kohli have a very good chance of defending the Champions Trophy.

"As defending champions, there will be a lot of expectations (on India). We have a very good chance to win there. The players need to absorb pressure. The first game is against Pakistan (June 4). There will be a lot of discussions about the game. More importantly, it is important to enjoy that game," Raina said here during a chat show at the Ceat cricket ratings award here on Wednesday.

Raina said that it will not be easy to switch from T20 format that IPL was to the 50-over game that Champions Trophy is.

"Especially in the cold conditions of England. You need to take a lot of pressure. Last time in England (2013 Champions Trophy), what we did best was we did a lot of team bonding. The conditions were very cold. It is very difficult to stay in slips. You need to keep expecting the ball coming on to you," Raina said.

One abiding memory of IPL 2017 is Raina consoling teenager, Delhi Daredevils' Rishabh Pant, who narrowly missed his century.

Raina said: "Rishabh is a god-gifted player. I told him 'don't be sad'. He looked very disappointed. The way he was batting, we thought we'd lose in 16th or 17th over. I just acknowledged his brilliant performance."

The Gujarat Lions and Uttar Pradesh captain who has also led India in a handful of limited-overs, added that "it was important for captains to play in the right spirit".

"The captains need to set an example by doing the right processes, go out there and play in the right spirit."