No fairytale ending for ‘Mr IPL' Raina

One Of The Most Prolific Batsmen In The League’s History Fails To Attract A Single Bidder, Bringing The Curtain Down On An Exceptional T20 Career

- Dwaipayan Datta

It was the summer of 2008. A blazing hot April afternoon in Chennai. A group of young hopefuls and a few India discards were training inside an empty MA Chidambaram Stadium for the newly-formed franchise Chennai Super Kings. Among the India discards was a 21-year-old Suresh Raina, dripping with sweat and running the laps with determination. When TOI caught up with him, Raina said: “I am thankful to CSK for banking on me. I will do my best to make the owners and fans happy.”

For the next 10 years, the Uttar Pradesh boy kept his word. The left-hander, from being a fringe player, became ‘Mr IPL’, playing 176 matches for CSK and scoring 4687 runs. It reflected in his performances for the national team as well and he became a crucial cog in India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad.

Even in the two years of CSK’s exile in 2016 and 2017, Raina was with the Gujarat Lions, but at heart he always remained a Super King. It’s true that his form had tapered off in the last few seasons, the most disappointing being 2021 when he was dropped at the business end of the tournament, but even the staunchest CSK fan would have hoped that one among the 10 franchises would show some interest in him.

Barring a miracle, it may well be the end of the road for Raina, still only 35. CSK have a number of players, including skipper MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo and Robin Uthappa who too are on the wrong side of the 30s.

The team has brilliant trainers and physios who know how to keep senior players in shape. If Raina, once the heir apparent to Dhoni’s throne, was even half of his best, he might as well have found his place in the team. But it was evident CSK had given up on him.