As Rahul Dravid once rightly said – ‘You don’t win or lose the games because of the 11 you select. You win or lose because of what those 11 did on the field’. Cricket is a sport which revolves around partnerships that add to the score and the T20 format is the biggest instance of these partnerships that can change the course of a game.

While having a great partnership on the field is of utmost importance, it is also necessary to share a camaraderie with your mates off the field.

The Gujarat Lions Captain Suresh Raina and Assistant Coach Mohammad Kaif’s partnership off the field is one such instance that reaffirms that need of bonding to learn and grow in that environment.

As Raina dons the Orange Cap with 309 runs till now in VIVO IPL 2017, Mohammad Kaif speaks with the team’s captain in a freewheeling chat – exclusively for iplt20.com - in which the duo recall memories of their playing days for Uttar Pradesh, the Captaincy hat which has passed on, and more.

‘We have played so many matches together, for India, India A and definitely that Ranji Trophy Final in 2006 whereKaifbhai batted very well. It was for the first time in the history of Ranji Trophy that UPCA won the title. For us, it was similar to winning the World Cup at home,’ says the Gujarat Lions skipper, who made his first-class debut under Mohammad Kaif.

Even though Suresh Raina is one of the most athletic fielders on the ground, it is that one run-outby Kaif in the 2003 World Cup that he is all praise for. ‘He is one of the nicest persons to have led the UP team; Kaifbhai was a complete team player and gave a lot of confidence to youngsters like myself, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, RP Singh, to name a few. He started playing for India and we used to watch him on television and discuss his fielding drills. He used to hold a lot of nerves while fielding in the covers. I believe John Wright must’ve been very pleased to have him in the side as he would save a lot of boundaries with his exceptional fielding. I still remember the brilliant run-out of Nick Knight that he did against England in the 2003 World Cup.’

While Raina gives a lot of credit to Kaif for his growth as a cricketer, Kaif still lays emphasis on being a team player. ‘Only players can make a Captain look good on the field,’ says the modest coach, who further adds that, ‘Raina is a match-winner. I have been seeing him play in the IPL for the past 10 years and he has the ability to win games single-handedly, especially the big games.’

‘We were under pressure in tonight’s game and even during the game against Kolkata Knight Riders where he scored a match-winning knock of 84 runs. But (despite the pressure), he can go on and win a game for his team.’

Elaborating on the team’s batting resources, Raina feels that his team looks pretty dangerous and are eyeing a berth for the playoffs. “We have a lot of match-winners in our team, starting from [Brendon] McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Ishan Kishan, Dinesh Karthik, [Ravindra] Jadeja, [Aaron] Finch and myself. We have that balance in our team and today was a result of that combination that we have been searching for.”

Raina also goes on to add that the performances of the domestic bowlers has been outstanding. “Nathu Singh has been bowling extremely well in the last two games and Basil Thampi too has been a consistent wicket-taking bowler in the first-class cricket. Credit also goes to Ankit Soni, who has joined the team recently and performed well under pressure today.”