On August 15, 2020, former India cricketer and the winner of CWC and Champions Trophy, Suresh Raina announced his international retirement.
However, since his retirement accompanied that of MS Dhoni, no one cared much and all the limelight stayed on MSD.
Slowly after int’l retirement, Raina lost all the self-confidence he once had and scored just 160 runs off 12 innings (average of 17.8) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. He did not make it to the playing eleven in some games for the season, and he wasn’t retained for the 2022 IPL.
One season of poor form, eventually, turned out to be enough for Mr. IPL to be disregarded by each and every franchise (including CSK) in 2022 IPL mega-auction as Suresh Raina tragically went unsold.
But now, pictures of Raina doing batting practice in Ghaziabad have emerged, signalling a comeback.
Two major reason have been speculated thus far by the fans. Hereon, SportsTime247 discusses both of them.
1. IPL Return
The most sensible explanation is that Suresh Raina is targeting an IPL return. One of the best batters in league’s history, the left-hander is too good to be neglected for consecutive seasons.
The Duleep Trophy (FC tournament) is scheduled for September 7 to 25. Following that, limited-overs tournaments in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022-23 are to be held.
If Suresh can show his big-hitting capabilities in the SMAT and Vijay Hazare Trophy, it is almost certain that multiple IPL franchises will go after him in the 2023 IPL auction.
Nothing beats the feeling of when I'm on the field. Had the best time on the ground!! ❤️?#gratitude pic.twitter.com/RCHAOM1t53
— Suresh Raina?? (@ImRaina) August 24, 2022
Since Suresh Raina isn’t internationally active anymore, domestic performances are the only way to impress IPL franchises.
2. Retirement from IPL to play other leagues
The other possible reason is the left-hander looking for opportunities elsewhere and retiring from the Indian Premier League.
The Legends League Cricket (LLC) starts from 17 September and Gautam Gambhir has already announced his return for it.
Suresh Raina isn’t as old as Gauti and other cricketers that’ll play in the LLC. But a spot should be available if he’s made up his mind to move from the IPL.
Internationally, there are other opportunities too: Big Bash League (BBL), The Hundred, Caribbean CPL, and the upcoming SA T20 League.
Regular cricket is available in such foreign leagues, and a bit of money is also there to be made. The BCCI can give Suresh Raina the permission and No Object Certificate (NOC) to play in other countries if he is to bid goodbye to the IPL.
It is true that this option is less practical. However, the BBL and SA T20 league are yet to finalize their 2022 squads, so one can’t call it impossible.