Reports: CSK Retain Suresh Raina Ahead Of IPL 2021

The IPL franchises will be submitting their final list of retentions on Wednesday [December 20] and one of the many talking points ahead of the release of the list is whether Chennai Super Kings [CSK] will retain their talisman in Suresh Raina.

A recent report in CricBuzz had suggested that the fate of Suresh Raina might lie in the hands of skipper MS Dhoni but if a report published in Indian Express is to be believed, the southpaw has been retained by the three-time champions.

“Yes, we will retain Raina and Dhoni will be the captain. Apart from Harbhajan Singh, we might release a few more players,” the CSK official told The Indian Express.

Suresh Raina has been one of the cornerstones for CSK’s success in the IPL over the years. The champion white-ball batsman has scored as many 4527 runs from 164 games-the most by any batsman for the franchise. However, Raina’s place in the side had come under the scanner after he opted out of the 2020 edition of the IPL, citing personal reasons.

CSK chief N Srinivasan had come down hard on Raina following his decision to opt-out of the 13th season but following the furor on his comments, the former BCCI chief went on to clarify his comments stating that CSK will always stand by the celebrated batsman.

“As far as Suresh Raina is concerned, he is a great player who has done so much for CSK. We have a lot of respect for him. [We have] a lot of regard and affection for all that he has done. CSK will always stand by him,” Srinivasan told this Indian Express last year.

Meanwhile, veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh has decided to part ways from the Chennai Super Kings following the expiration of his contract. Harbhajan, who was picked by the Dhoni-led franchise in the 2018 auctions, represented the ‘Whistle Podu’ gang in 2018 and 2019 but like Suresh Raina, he also opted out of IPL 2020 due to personal reasons.

 “As my contract comes to an end with @ChennaiIPL, playing for this team was a great experience..beautiful memories made &some great friends which I will remember fondly for years to come..Thank you @ChennaiIPL, management, staff and fans for a wonderful 2years.. All the best…” Harbhajan Singh tweeted.

Also Read: Report: CSK Set To Release Piyush Chawla And Murali Vijay; Fate Of Suresh Raina And Kedar Jadhav In MS Dhoni’s Hands