Suresh Raina geared up for new IPL role

Suresh Raina, who has scored the most number of runs for his franchise Chennai Super Kings, will now be seen in the commentary box, giving his voice to the game. It came as a shocker when Raina went unsold in the 2022 mega auction as no team picked him. He had been with CSK since IPL’s inception in 2008 and had been a great companion of skipper MS Dhoni.

On Tuesday, March 22, Star Sports announced the names of the commentators for this IPL season and ‘Mr. IPL’ Raina was one of them. Raina will be making his way into the Hindi commentary panel and will be accompanied by Aakash Chopra, Irfan Pathan, and the returnee Ravi Shastri, among others.

He expressed joy and shared his thoughts about being behind the mic for the very first time. “Very very happy and looking forward to this new role,” he said about his new role during a press conference organised by Star Sports.

There is immense pressure on younger guys due to auction price tag: Suresh Raina

Meanwhile, Raina also spoke about the pressure that the players go through when price tags are levied upon them, which directly affects their performance. “There is immense pressure on younger guys due to auction price tag. The franchise, the captain always expect good performance. We have seen many a time how big a price tag has affected a player’s game. If his process is good then the rest will take place,” said Raina

When asked about the players to watch out for in the 15th edition of the mega event, he named Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shreyas Iyer, Moeen Ali, and Rishabh Pant.

Raina couldn’t perform much in the 2021 IPL season as he ended the season with a mere 160 runs. However, he had been the backbone of the team and a big support to the captain. Everyone is aware of the bond that he shared with the team’s leader. That’s the reasons why he is fondly called ‘Chinna Thala’, the right hand to the leader of the pack – ‘Thala’ MS Dhoni.

Interestingly, the two even retired on the same day as Raina announced his retirement from international cricket minutes after Dhoni made the announcement on 15th August 2020.

The IPL 2022 begins on 26 March, with the 2021 champions Chennai Super Kings locking horns with the Kolkata Knight Riders at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.