Raina\u2019s comments came after former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh called for consistency in India\u2019s ODI setup and urged the team management to avoid making too many changes ahead of next year\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Speaking about Yuvraj\u2019s advice, Raina backed the experience of Rohit and Kohli and highlighted their record of winning major trophies for India and in the IPL.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAbsolutely, I think we have the gun player; we have a gun machine at home. We have the best captains who won a lot of trophies in IPL as well as for the country, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Virat, we don\u2019t need any introduction because they are different player. I think I have played a lot of matches with them,\u201d Raina told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Delhi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cVirat wants it. I think this time we are playing the World Cup in South Africa and Zimbabwe. I think if both of them stay, there is a 90% chance of winning the World Cup,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Raina also referred to India\u2019s defeat to Australia in the 2003 World Cup final, saying the team would have added motivation when it returns to South Africa for the 2027 edition. \u201cEspecially when we lost in South Africa in 2003, we have to take revenge for that as well,\u201d Raina said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Yuvraj had earlier stressed the importance of giving a settled group enough game time before the World Cup, with India having limited ODI fixtures between now and the tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThey need to focus on building the same team to play in a year\u2019s time, because you don\u2019t want to make big changes at the last moment,\u201d Yuvraj told Cricinfo.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhoever your players are, whether they are 16 or 20, it\u2019s important that everybody gets game time because obviously now there are more T20s and fewer 50-over cricket matches. Whatever matches there are, it\u2019s important that players get enough game time to prepare for the World Cup,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThey need to focus on building the same team to play in a year\u2019s time, because you don\u2019t want to make big changes at the last moment,\u201d Yuvraj told Cricinfo.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The series will begin in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, followed by the second ODI in Guwahati on September 30 and the third in Chandigarh on October 3. Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, will be part of India\u2019s Asian Games campaign.<\/p>\r\n\r\n