Suresh Raina overlooks Virat Kohli as he names the ultimate fighter of modern Cricket
Published - 31 Aug 2025, 12:10 PM | Updated - 31 Aug 2025, 11:34 PM

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Former Indian batter Suresh Raina overlooked his former teammate and one of the greatest cricketers, Virat Kohli, and named the legendary Australian all-rounder Shane Watson as the most competitive cricketer he has ever seen.
Raina’s decision to overlook Virat Kohli left many shocked, as the former Indian captain is often regarded as the ultimate competitor of modern cricket. Virat Kohli, who is now only active in ODI cricket, is known for his unmatched passion and relentless competitiveness.
Suresh Raina picks Shane Watson over Virat Kohli as Cricket’s fiercest competitor
Every time the dashing right-handed batter steps onto the field, he plays with fiery intensity, pushing boundaries and inspiring teammates. Kohli’s hunger to win and consistency under pressure make him one of the fiercest warriors of the game.
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But Suresh Raina went with Shane Watson, who set the benchmark with his fierce spirit and never-say-die attitude. Notably, Raina shared the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dressing room with Watson.
Suresh Raina said on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel, “Shane Watson. When he used to play for Australia, he came to our team. Very, very nice human being, but he was very competitive.”
Shane Watson's career in numbers
Watson represented Australia between 2002 and 2016 and played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs, and 58 T20Is, where he piled up nearly 11,000 runs and scalped 291 wickets. The former all-rounder was a true match-winner both in the international arena and in the franchise cricket world.
In the world’s biggest T20 league, IPL, Shane Watson was behind several major wins for the Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Chennai Super Kings.
Even the Aussie legend won the IPL trophies with the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings. He has 3874 runs and 92 wickets to his name in over 145 matches, making him one of the IPL’s most successful all-rounders.
Watson had played a blistering knock of 117* from 57 balls in the IPL 2028 final and helped CSK to win their third title. Even in the 2019 final, the former Australian all-rounder played with a bleeding knee to score 80 runs, proving why he was known for his grit and passion.
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Suresh Raina names his All-Time CSK XI, but leaves out Shane Watson
Meanwhile, Suresh Raina unveiled his all-time Chennai Super Kings XI. His star-studded lineup featured legends like Murali Vijay, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Subramaniam Badrinath, Doug Bollinger, Albie Morkel, Shadab Jakati, Ravichandran Ashwin, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Lakshmipathy Balaji, and Mohit Sharma, with Muttiah Muralitharan slotted as 12th man.
However, big names like Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Chahar, and Dwayne Bravo did not make the cut to Raina’s all-time Chennai Super Kings XI. Bravo’s omission shocked many, considering he is CSK’s second-highest wicket-taker in IPL history and a two-time Purple Cap winner.
Similarly, Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who have scored over 2500 runs each for the franchise, were overlooked despite their vital contributions in CSK’s title-winning campaigns. Notably, Raina has scored 4687 runs in the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
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Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ... Read more