Suresh Raina to vacate Lucknow hostel

Lucknow, May 30 (UNI) Team India batsman Suresh Raina will have to vacate his room in state-owned Gomtinagar Cricket Hostel here.

Raina, who graduated to Test cricket after spending his formative years here, completed seven years in the hostel and as per rules has to leave the hostel.

The Cricket Hostels Committee of Uttar Pradesh Sports Directorate has submitted a report in this regard.

Raina, India U- 19 captain Ravikant Shukla and UP Ranji player Ali Murtaza are among a dozen players, who will be asked to vacate their respective rooms.

As per UP government rules, if a player fails to play upto national level in three yrs, he will have to face removal, whereas top players can avail the hostel facilities upto a maximum of seven years, as the case is with Raina, Shukla and few others.

Raina, who joined a sports college in 1999, remained there for five years before shifting to Gomtinagar Cricket Hostel due to his exceptional talent.

Confirming this, a senior sports department official told UNI that all these top players would continue to get sporting facilities as before, the only thing would be that they cannot stay in the hostel.

Incidentally, Rudra Pratap Singh, another Team India member, is Raina's hostel mate, but an year junior to him in the hostel.

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