Suresh Raina laments getting lesser opportunities after MS Dhoni's captaincy

Indian cricketer Suresh Raina last played for the national side in 2018 against England in an away series. He was an integral member of India’s limited-overs squad under MS Dhoni’s regime between 2008 and 2016. However, the stylish left-hander hardly received any opportunities to play for the ‘Men in Blue’ ever since MS Dhoni gave up his captaincy.

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Suresh Raina takes subtle dig at Virat Kohli and team management

In an interview with a leading Indian daily, Suresh Raina seemingly took a slight dig at present Indian captain Virat Kohli. Once hailed as the ‘Michael Bevan’ of Indian cricket, Suresh Raina has represented India in only three ODIs since Virat Kohli became Indian's limited-overs captain in 2016. In the interview, Suresh Raina said that he was lucky to play under Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni, who gave him a lot of opportunities.

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He added that it is important for any newcomer to get enough chances in the team and this is where the skipper plays a crucial role. India is currently facing problems with a middle-order batsman which also proved costly in 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final. While taking a dig at the Indian team management, Suresh Raina said that one cannot expect middle-order batters like Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer to perform in every game. Such players should be assured that they will not be dropped and must be given enough time to shine at the international level.

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IPL 2020: CSK team 2020 retains Suresh Raina

During the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 trading window, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retained Suresh Raina for ₹11 crore. Raina has been an integral member of the CSK ever since the inception of the tournament in 2008. He was part of the CSK line-up that won the IPL titles in 2010, 2011 and 2018.

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