'If Rohit Sharma was captain, I would have': Suresh Raina refuses to hold Mumbai Indians flag- WATCH

Former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player, Suresh Raina, chose not to wield the Mumbai Indians (MI) flag at Jio Cinema's IPL auction strategy program. The player justified his act by expressing the amount of respect he carries for Rohit Sharma. Sharma was recently sacked as captain of the MI team, and has been replaced by Hardik Pandya.

3 things you need to know

• Suresh Raina is a former India and CSK player
• He retired from all forms of cricket along with MS Dhoni on August 15, 2020
• Raina currently works as a cricket expert

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Suresh Raina refuses to hold MI flag

Former MI player and scout Parthiv Patel offered the CSK icon the opportunity to wield the MI flag, but he declined, claiming that he would have held it had Rohit still been the franchise's captain. Raina's remark elicited laughter from the panel.

The clip of Raina has since gone viral. Here's what transpired that caused social media to go on a frenzy:

Raina has had his fair share of memorable moments against the Mumbai Indians during his career. At a strike rate of 139.42, the left-handed batter scored 824 runs in 34 innings against the five-time champs.

Raina has also played alongside Rohit in the national squad, and the two have built numerous stands for the national team.

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MI appoints Hardik Pandya as the new captain

The entire IPL scene was shaken when MI announced the return of Hardik Pandya from the Gujarat Titans (GT). The franchise's decision to pick the all-rounder as their new captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, who held the command for a decade, shook the cricket world.

The experts have spoken out on the entire saga, and fans have also made their thoughts heard via social media channels.