The senior batsman Suresh Raina has been the backbone for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) since the inception of the domestic professional Twenty20 league in 2008. He has cherished while playing under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, for the Chennai-based franchise. Meanwhile, Raina has termed Dhoni as the top-notch captain of one of the successful leagues in the world cricket.
“We have the best captain in MS Dhoni, and CSK is also the best franchise,” Raina told HT.
IPL opener between Super Kings and Bangalore:
The twelfth edition of commences on March 23 with the curtain-raiser between the Super Kings and Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Chepauk stadium in Chennai.
On Tuesday (February 19), the IPL Governing Council has revealed the schedule for the first two weeks.
Moreover, the rest of the schedule will be announced following the dates of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.
Furthermore, the middle-order batsman Raina, who has a wealth of experience on his back, is expecting yet another fruitful season for the franchise. So far, Super Kings went on to lift the three IPL trophies to sit at par with Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI).
The middle-order batsman Raina added it’s has been a remarkable ride for his side while delivering on most of the occasions.
“It was amazing, God has been kind. We had played for almost 10 years (8 years) together and have had a lot of memories at CSK,” Raina remarked.
For the ninth and tenth edition, Super Kings alongside Rajasthan Royals (RR) was banned for two years following the fallout of IPL spot-fixing scandal in 2013.
Raina has also led Gujarat Lions for the two seasons between 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Raina eyes yet another stellar IPL season for the Super Kings:
The 32-year-old Raina who further pulled things back for the Super Kings in the previous editions with his all-round show, believes the team has gelled well. He asserted the foreign recruits are always greeted for rendering their services.
“The culture is really good in the team, and the foreign players are also welcome. I am looking forward to the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League,” Raina further said.
Recently, Raina has also expressed his view on playing the virtual game. He is concurrently promoting the IB Cricket Super Over League. He maintained the game has the features that make one feel playing in the stadium.
“It is very exciting, really enjoyed it. There is a lot of cheering like you are playing in the stadium. Good noise and good cheering from the fans. It feels very real and has a relaxing effect on you. And you can enjoy it with your friends,” Raina said.
So far, in overall 176 matches, Raina has amassed 4985 runs at an average of 34.47. He slammed a hundred and 35 half-centuries under his belt. He has also bagged 25 scalps to his name in the IPL.