New Delhi: Mr IPL, Suresh Raina, will not feature in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League. He tweeted and informed that he will not be playing domestic cricket for Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming season and is retiring from all formats of cricket. In the last edition of the IPL, Raina was not picked by his franchise Chennai Super Kings.
It has been an absolute honour to represent my country & state UP. I would like to announce my retirement from all formats of Cricket. I would like to thank @BCCI, @UPCACricket, @ChennaiIPL, @ShuklaRajiv sir & all my fans for their support and unwavering faith in my abilities ??
— Suresh Raina?? (@ImRaina) September 6, 2022
According to a report, Raina is looking forward to T20 leagues in South Africa, Sri Lanka and UAE. As BCCI does not allows an Indian cricketer to play foreign leagues, one needs permission to do so, Raina has already applied for one. He said, “I want to continue playing cricket for two or three years. There are some exciting youngsters who are coming through the ranks of Uttar Pradesh cricket. 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.”
He will be seen playing the upcoming Road Safety World Series starting from September 10, where he will represent the Indian Legends led by former Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar. He has been training at the RPL cricket ground in Ghaziabad for the past one year.
Raina announced his retirement from international cricket on 15 August 2020, on the same day as former Indian captain MS Dhoni. He has been the backbone of the Chennai Super Kings batting lineup while he played a season for Gujarat Lions. He has the fourth-highest run-scorer in IPL history with 5,528 runs from 205 games. He has contributed with the ball as well, taking 25 wickets in 69 innings. He was one of the most appreciated fielders on the field and has 124 dismissals, including 109 catches and 15 run-outs in IPL.
