Suresh Raina, former India, and Uttar Pradesh batter, has announced his retirement from “all formats of cricket,” confirming the end of his IPL and India domestic career. Raina, 35, had already retired from international cricket, announcing this decision on 15 August 2020 soon after Ms Dhoni’s retirement.
Taking to his official Twitter account, Raina thanked the BCCI, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, Chennai Super Kings, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla, and the fans for their support throughout his cricketing journey.
One of the prominent faces in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Raina couldn’t find a buyer at the mega players’ auction earlier this year. Surprisingly, even the Chennai Super Kings did not bid for the player who had been on their laurels in the past.
Earlier, Raina was quoted by news daily Dainik Jagran saying, “I want to continue playing cricket for two or three years. There are some exciting young people coming through the ranks of cricket in Uttar Pradesh. I have already taken my No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA). I have informed BCCI secretary Jay Shah and vice-president Rajiv Shukla about my decision.”
The former India batter Suresh Raina will play in the Road Safety World Series, starting from September 10.
“I will play in the Road Safety Series. T20 franchises from South Africa, Sri Lanka, and UAE have contacted me but I am yet to take any decision,” said Raina, who has been practicing at the RPL cricket field in Ghaziabad for a year.
Raina had not played any first-class or list A cricket since 2018, and his last IPL game was in October 2021. Raina played a key role in the Chennai Super Kings, representing them during 11 seasons between 2008 and 2021. He won four CSK titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021 and continues to score 4,687 points in 176 games. He was released by Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2022 player auction, where he was not bought by any of the ten franchises.
Raina retires after scoring 6,871 points in 109 Premier games, 8,078 points in 302 List A games, and 8,654 points in 336 T20 games. He started his senior national career with UP in 2002-2003 and made his international debut in 2005. Raina played 226 UDIs, 78 T20Is, and 18 Tests for India, and was part of the team that won the ODI World Cup in 2011. He was the first Indian batter to score a century in all three international formats.