The IPL 2022 mega-auction concluded on Sunday evening after the bidding game between the 10 IPL franchises came to an end after a long two-days. The think-tank of every IPL franchise were on their toes throughout the auction to pick the best players for their side. The auction however had it’s own downside as the event resulted in some surprising outcomes.
One of which was – Mr. IPL Suresh Raina going unsold. No team showed any interest in getting the southpaw into their side. It was expected that CSK would buy the veteran back but it stunned everyone when there was no bid from their side as well. Below are the possible reasons why Suresh Raina went unsold in the TATA IPL Auction 2022.
1. Terrible IPL 2021 Season
The Left-hander had a forgettable 2021 IPL season. As fas as the stats are concerned, it was his worst season so-far in the tournament. Raina could only score 160 runs at an average of 17.77 in the 12 matches he played last year. He scored a fifty in the first match of the season but never got going after that game.
2. Relationships with CSK were not good since 2020
As is known to all, Suresh Raina didn’t feature in the 13th season of the IPL. It was for the first time ever that the left-hander didn’t participate in the IPL. Raina had joined the CSK side before the start of the tournament and was in quarantine in the UAE, like his other teammates.
However, a few weeks before the start of the tournament Raina pulled out of tournament and returned back to India. The reasons were then unknown but it was rumored that a rift between Raina and the CSK management was the reason that he pulled out.
3. Ignoring domestic cricket and early retirement from international
Early retirement did not work well for Raina’s IPL career. Raina announced his retirement back in 2020, moments after MS Dhoni had done the same. Considering his age, it was seen to be as an early retirement call. The Southpaw never seemed to show interest in playing domestic tournaments even after announcing his retirement from international cricket.
Not having exposure to any competitive cricket led to his downfall as he went out of form. Losing his touch in addition to not playing any domestic cricket led to poor batting performances in the IPL, the result of which is him going unsold in the auction.
