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Former CSK player Suresh Raina going unsold during two-day IPL auctions was one of the major takeaways from the event, and the matter was widely written and discussed on various platforms. Several reasons were speculated, and many claimed that Raina's cricket career is over and Mr IPL losing the trust of CSK management was one of the prime reasons behind the Chennai franchise not going after their most consistent player.
In a fresh development, Rajasthan Royals' head coach Kumar Sangakkara has expressed his opinion over the same and said that when one goes into granular details, it seems as if the player is not suited for that season. Sangakara was quoted by Zee News saying, "There are different perspectives to look at it. As the years go by, players change and reputations around also change as young players are introduced."
Former Sri Lanka cricketer applauded Mr IPL for raising the bar in cricket with his all-round performance in the field. "Raina was unbelievable in IPL. He has been nothing short of a legend. One of best ever played the game and top-notch performer," said Sangakkara.
Adding further, he said that Raina always improved his game season by season. However, the RR coach also added that Raina's exclusion from the cash-rich league does not take away what he has achieved over the years.
Suresh Raina is the fourth-highest run-scorer in the history of the tournament, having amassed 5528 runs from 205 matches at an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.76, including a century and 39 half-centuries.
Meanwhile, Sangakkara will provide his services as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2022, starting March 26. A new-look Rajasthan team would be hoping to make amends after having rebuilt their squad this time around.