IPL legend and former India batsman Suresh Raina is all set to make his triumphant return to the coveted tournament; albeit not quite in the playing capacity that his ardent fans would’ve liked to see him in. As per reports, Raina- alongside former India head coach Ravi Shastri- will be among Star Sports new commentary panel for IPL 2022.
No official confirmation has been made yet, but an anonymous source from Dainik Jagaran has provided the information that Raina and Shastri will both be part of the Hindi commentary team this season.
‘Wanted to link Suresh Raina with the IPL again’
“You all know that Raina won’t be a part of the IPL this time but we somehow wanted to link him with the tournament. He has a massive fan following and there is a reason why he is known as Mr IPL. As for Shastri, he was part of Star Sports English commentary team. But he didn’t commentate after the final of Champions Trophy in 2017 as he became India’s head coach,” the source was quoted as saying.
Should the rumors prove true, the commentary stint will mark a bitter-sweet comeback for Raina in the IPL. Shortly after getting snubbed at the auctions, Raina had mentioned how it wasn’t the end of the world for him, and that he would utilize the free-time with his family. But it seems now that the passion for his favorite game has caused him to have a change of heart.
The Uttar-Pradesh based southpaw was an absolute stalwart for the Chennai Super Kings in their long dominant run in the tournament. Over 205 matches, Raina accumulated 5528 runs at a strike rate of 136.53 averaging 32.52. His stellar career also included 2 seasons with the now-defunct Gujarat Lions in 2016 and 2017, where Raina even got to show his leadership skills in a prolonged run as the team’s captain.
Ravi Shastri makes a return to the commentary fold after 2017
Shastri, meanwhile, ended his five-year long coaching stint with the Indian men’s team last year. Interestingly, prior to taking up the coaching role, Shastri was regarded as one of the most astute cricket commentators in the country.
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In fact, he was the leading voice in several of team India’s iconic moments in ICC tournaments, like Yuvraj Singh’s 6-sixes vs England, the WT20 victory in 2007 and the ODI World Cup win in 2011. It will be a welcome return for Shastri in the commentator’s box, and this time around, fans will get to savor his commentary at his candid best in Hindi.
