Raina to play for Air India in Moin-ud-Dowlah Cup

It is learnt that quite a few big names could be seen in action for the tournament.

In a bid to return to the national side, Suresh Raina is expected to make the most of the domestic season.

He may be out of the national reckoning for a while, but that hasn’t stopped Suresh Raina’s efforts of making a come back. The stylish batsman, who missed out on a Team India berth in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, will be playing the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup for Air India.

The tournament, which begins in Hyderabad next week, will see Raina hitting the ground for the corporate side.

“I will be in Hyderabad for the tournament,” Raina told  Sportstar  on Thursday. After the India snub, there were speculations over Raina’s fitness, but the batsman took the field at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on Thursday to attend a fitness training session organised by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association.

Though the organiser — The Hyderabad Cricket Association — is yet to make any formal announcement, it is learnt that quite a few big names could be seen in action for the tournament.

In 2015, Yuvraj had featured in the tournament for Air India, and this time too, there are speculations about him joining the squad. There, however, is no confirmation on that yet.

In a bid to return to the national side, Raina is expected to make the most of the domestic season.

With the star batsman deciding to participate in the prestigious tournament, the cricket enthusiasts of Hyderabad would have something to look forward to!