Suresh Raina quotes:

I've always wanted to buy a sports car. After the England series, I went up to my dad and said that I wanted to buy a sports car and got his consent. On his birthday, I surprised him by bringing it home. It's a Porsche Boxter Limited Edition, and my family was thrilled to see it.

My days in hostel were tough. I was ragged by my seniors. We were asked to wash their dirty clothes, do their odd jobs, etc. When it came to eating, we would be often given burnt rotis and milk that had awful odour. But, never once did I call home. I knew if I had to become a tough cricketer, I would have to handle the pressure.

If you're successful, it's important to enjoy it! I love shopping for clothes, branded clothes. I love shopping in England, Dubai. I like to travel whenever I can.

Celebration is big for me. From my younger days, when I used to win mementos while playing basketball, I have always believed in sharing my success. It has to be there. It lifts the energy levels of the entire side if you are positive and vocal when a wicket falls.

At the international level, one has to keep working hard and develop new skills. International cricket is all about improving yourself.

When you're successful, there will be friends, people, VIPs rallying around you. When you're down and out, you're all alone. That's why it's important to be a good person. Because whether you're a successful cricketer or not can always change, but the respect you earn by being the person you are stays with you.

As and when I get into a relationship, I'll flaunt her to the world. I'm looking for a soul mate, and in any case, I'm not very much for casual dating. I'm such a simple guy away from this dating-shating business.

My aim is to play Test matches. For me, there is a different feel of Test cricket as it tests your character. You come to know about your mental toughness, and most importantly, there is another level of satisfaction as a player.

I am very close to my family. I have learned a lot from my father. He used to tell me to be honest with yourself and not to argue with your seniors. You don't need to be involved in any quarrel, as sometimes you need to remain silent intelligently.

I never have issues in handling the fame. I was in a boarding school, as I am from a middle-class family. We didn't have a lot of money, so we all learned to respect money and understood its real value.

What is important for me is playing cricket and not thinking about how my Test career is shaping up. I am not into future planning and all. I am concerned about my present and not the future.

I had a girlfriend when I was 17-18, and when she was 21, she wanted us to get married. I couldn't do that, because my game was my priority. We had to part ways, and there was no guilt because I had never committed to marriage.

My father was in the army, and there wasn't too much money. Yet, we learnt to enjoy the small pleasures of life, to look at the positives.

I used to practice at the hockey ground on synthetic surface while I was in the sports hostel, so Test cricket is certainly going to be a challenge for me.

Chennai is a beautiful city; I love the roads here and also know the routes. But one tip for car/bike enthusiasts - your life is most important; so, drive safe!

I have always maintained that if you work hard, it won't go waste, as recognition will come to you at some stage, whether in studies or sports. You need to have good intentions and intent to move ahead in life as well as in sports.

I am getting better at facing the bouncers, as I know opposition tries to use those as a weapon against me. Yet, no one is perfect, and he takes time to master a particular thing.

It's always good to bat at the top, where you get more opportunities, but sometimes crucial 30s and 40s can be very helpful for the team. Ultimately it is a team sport. Personal records don't matter much if your team ends up on the losing side.

At home in Ghaziabad, everyone is a pure vegetarian. In fact, when I want to cook non-veg there, my mum shoos me out on the terrace where I have my cooking utensils. I'm told categorically that whatever non-veg or egg, etc., that I have to cook, I should do upstairs and not enter her kitchen at all.

My job is to perform, enjoy cricket and thank God for whatever he has given me.

I will never date an actor or a model. My family will never accept her. We are a middle class family, and an actress will never be able to gel with us.

Test cricket is the only thing that counts. One-day and T20 performances are fine, but you rate a player by his status as a Test player. By the time I finish, I want to play at least 80 Tests and be known for my achievements in Tests.

I am very close to my family. I have learned a lot from my father. He used to tell me to be honest with yourself and not to argue with your seniors. You dont need to be involved in any quarrel, as sometimes you need to remain silent intelligently.

For me, fielding is everything - it is a passion that comes from within. You can get a bad ball while you bat, and your bowling may not always be up there, but you are completely in control of how well you field.

The shot of Kapil Dev kissing the World Cup and hordes of Indian fans all over at Lord's is etched in my memory. Every Indian is proud of that victory, and every Indian player who has played the World Cup after that '83 win wants to bring the Cup home.

I will go for a simple girl who's completely in tune with me and who gets along with my family.

I have time only for cricket, and when I am not playing, I love to be at home, chat with my family, do puja with them, call for some yummy paani puri, etc. Also I love to cook. I can make dal, sabji and chicken! But, at home everybody's a vegetarian, so I can't cook non-veg at home!

I have always maintained that if you work hard, it wont go waste, as recognition will come to you at some stage, whether in studies or sports. You need to have good intentions and intent to move ahead in life as well as in sports.

I am not brand conscious. I wear what suits me.

I always want to be known as a good Test cricketer. I believe I have the ability to score big runs in the longer format. For that, I know I have to score heavily in whatever opportunities I get.

As a sportsman, you always play to win. Having said that, it's not possible to win every day. There will be days when you will do well and there will be days you won't.

I sing really well, my friends say. I don't like my voice, but I sang on stage during the Sahara awards a few years ago, so I don't mind singing.

I like to keep most of my bats. I think I have about 250 bats, including my first - which cost Rs 2000 - a gift from my dad in 1998, when I moved to the hostel.

It's very difficult to fill the shoes of somebody like Rahul Bhai. He has set the bench mark for a generation to come. However, it's our responsibility to carry forward his legacy.

I dedicate my store to my birthplace. People over there look very good and have got purchasing power, too, and I think since there are no fashion shops in Ghaziabad, they would want to visit my boutique all the more. And I don't play cricket for all 12 months. So when I'm not playing, I can spend my time looking after my business and develop it.

My family members are vegetarians, but I like mutton and chicken seekh kebabs.

I am doing everything to be fit - like not eating oily food, doing yoga, gymming and consulting my doc.

As professional cricketers, we have to ensure that we are battle-ready all the time.

As a player, I like playing as much cricket as possible, irrelevant of the format.

For a batsman, scoring runs abroad is always a challenge.

I am a great fan of Manchester United.

I am trying hard to better my performances every match.

I don't compete with others, but compete with myself.

I think Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket.

I try to do better than what I have before.

I would never date or marry an actress. I will marry the girl of my mom's choice.

It is a great feeling of course to have scored so many runs, but that is what I play cricket for: to score lots of runs.

Normally players from the hostels don't give much importance to their fitness, but my case was different thanks to my coach. He helped me focus a lot on my batting and bowling which worked out really well for me in the future.

The future is uncertain, and therefore I can't predict it.

We definitely have a lot of talent in India for football. It is great to see football's growing popularity and I really hope a larger number of corporate companies invest in the game so that one day we have a great team to boast about.