The CSK legend was also overlooked by MS Dhoni’s team, for whom he has played most of his IPL cricket.
Raina is not an overage for the IPL and certainly not for CSK, whose captain is 41. Still, he could not make the cut. None of the IPL teams showed any interest in the left-handed batsman.
One reason for this could also be that Raina no longer plays international cricket for India and is rarely seen on the field for his state team UP.
Maybe because of this the franchise has lost faith in his batting abilities. And Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara believes that Raina was not fit to play for this upcoming season.
The former Sri Lanka captain said, “There are different ways of looking at it. As the years go by, the players change and the reputation is also created by the younger players.”
“In Suresh Raina’s case, his reputation is unbelievable in IPL cricket. He has been an absolute legend, one of the best and top performers season after season. When you go into the finer details, the player might not be a fit for it. It’s in that season. It’s nothing far from a player being one of the best ever or a player being of absolutely high quality and that’s something that analysts, coaches and owners are looking for,” he added. concluded.